Liberia: Bates Foundation Trains 250 Trauma Healing Counselors
Charles Bates and his brother Jefferson Bates
An American Based Liberian currently in the country, which owns and operates a non for profit organization, “Bates Foundation”, has trained about 250 trauma healing counselors during a three-day seminar in Liberia.
The seminar seeks to adequately increase the knowledge of pastors, teachers, community leaders, and social workers to become Trainers of Trainers (ToT) in the area of trauma healing.
The training brought together about 250 persons from churches, schools, counseling centers, and home-holding disadvantaged youths operating centers.
The initiative is aimed at building the capacity of trauma counselors to enable them to give victims of trauma in Liberia a feeling that they have control over their lives again.
“Those that will be willing to leave such devastating lives will be aided in whatever direction they wish to go after the training,” the Executive Director said.
Charles Bates, a passionate Liberian said, he feels disturbed to see him sleeping in some of the country’s best resorts whenever he’s in Liberia and to see Liberians busting tunes of greave to sleep because of bad substances they are inhaling, something that is troublesome for Liberia's future.
“If this continues, it means we don't have a future. We must all rise to the occasion to battle this growing menace that is eating up our nation's future,” he said.
He said the issue of disadvantaged youth is something that needs to be tackled holistically.
Bates intoned that why it is a glaring fact that the government takes major responsibility to restore hopes and aspirations of these guys, he asserted that it is also comparative for individual Liberian to help with a fear that the drug issue will not become pandemic in Liberia.
He noted that the issue of drug addiction that is permeating the society is posing serious health and social challenges to Liberia.
The training is being conducted under the auspices of the Bate Foundation, a Liberian-based institution that is opting to see Liberia and the world at large become a better place free of trauma.
Bates urges Liberians to help in whatever way possible to be a part of changing the paradigm of the country, especially in addressing the traumatic conditions of some Liberians.
He said the passion for extending a helping hand is a call that cannot be let down by the Foundation.