The visit was conducted by Kazia Schiffa, project manager at PPLM in the Rwanda, Burundi, and Congo region.
On the afternoon of May 22, 2025, Kazia Schiffa, project manager in the Great Lakes region of Rwanda, Burundi, and the DRC, met with the various beneficiaries of the trauma project at the CPR headquarters. She attended a training session at the project center in Kayonza in the morning. In the afternoon, she met with CPR staff and other beneficiaries trained in the project. These are representatives of expert trainers in psychotraumatology, trainers of trainers, and counseling leaders from CPR member churches.
The objective of Kazia Schiffa’s visit was to understand the project, its functioning through the various stakeholders and beneficiaries requiring counseling, its achievements, the challenges encountered, the attempted solutions implemented, and the project’s prospects. The participants represent the different member churches of the CPR, different departments of the churches, categories in the church: women, family, youth, teachers in schools, those in charge of basic communities in administrative sectors, etc.
The psychotraumatology project is a project that produces many good results. The participants, each in their own environment, using various effective techniques, meet different beneficiaries who quickly regain good health. They testified to the effectiveness of the techniques learned by the CPR compared to others. They saw clients who were admitted to medical centers for a long time or repeatedly but who quickly recovered. Among the major achievements, the OREP organization of psychotraumatology experts trained by this CPR project and the various forms of care provided to different members of the Rwandan community in the CPR member churches were mentioned.
The second day was dedicated to brainstorming discussions with project staff at headquarters and the Kayonza and Musanze centers, as well as CPR authorities. Together, they clarified the project’s administrative and financial management and attempted solutions to the problems encountered. They reflected together on the results and impacts already achieved. In addition, they attempted to share their views on the future prospects and direction of the project.
The CPR’s Psychotrauma Project has trained a large number of experts and trainers in psychotrauma. It supports psychological counselors in all CPR member churches in helping families, the community, and individuals achieve mental health.
