Helping the Helpers Spread Healing: Joel Bahati, Nakivale, Uganda

Joel Bahati is a young Congolese refugee who 3 years ago started learning EP techniques to help himself and anyone who would listen to heal from the horrendous, and to us, incomprehensible traumas through which they have somehow survived.

This is both a story and a request to help someone who is devoting himself to helping others even as he shares in their trials and tribulations. I've called it layered simultaneous strain...when we are helping others to come to terms with, to adjust and shift to very difficult circumstances even as we ourselves are struggling with the same challenges...as most everyone of us faced during the Covid lockdown.

Joel fled to Uganda (where, btw, there is an open door refugee national policy), at the time of the murder of his parents, siblings and some of his best friends during civil war there 8 years ago. He’s been living in Nakivale Refugee Resettlement, a camp of almost 20,000 ever since.

It's very surprising how just a little bit goes so far for them. I hope you read on. Joel's presence in my life has enriched it and opened my heart in unexpected ways.

What's special about Joel? He is a natural leader, organizer, and healer and is becoming a dear friend. Here’s the story of his work in his words:

“Like many other families here, we came seeking safety while carrying heavy trauma and painful memories.

Life in the settlement has been extremely difficult. Living without family support, struggling to survive, and coping with daily challenges made everything overwhelming.

Three years ago, I was trained in a psychosocial approach called sociotherapy. I learned that when people come together in safe spaces to share their life experiences, it can bring healing, understanding, and connection. I began working with community groups in the camp, facilitating discussions and supporting people to talk about their daily struggles. Over time, I realized that dialogue alone was not enough for deeper healing, so I continued learning new approaches such as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), FAST tools, Havening, and other trauma-healing methods. I trained in different organizations like GOe, Peaceful Heart Network, humanitarian havening and ACEP.

I started by working with small community groups, and as people began to experience positive changes, they invited others. This is how most people start working with us through word of mouth, trust, and seeing the impact in their friends, neighbors, and families. Today, we also work with children in schools, where teachers and school leaders invite us to support students who are struggling emotionally or socially.

We spread the word of our work through community meetings, school partnerships, group sessions, and personal testimonies from people who have experienced healing and positive change.

This journey led to the creation of the Resilience and Empowerment Center, where community members come together to share experiences, learn healing tools, support one another, and rebuild trust, dignity, hope. and are able to enjoy mental well-being through those approaches.

When UNHCR support was reduced, many families in the camp began to face severe hardship, including lack of basic needs such as food. This situation increased stress, anxiety, depression, and re-triggered trauma for many people. Because of this, we suggested starting small livelihood projects such as goat farming to support resilience and self-reliance.

So far, our healing work has reached more than 20 community groups and 10 schools. In addition, we now have one group running a goat project, which is helping them practically through nutrition, small income, teamwork, stronger relationships, and hope for the future.

Today, these combined efforts are helping families rebuild their lives, restore dignity, and discover new possibilities for healing, resilience, and a better future even in very difficult circumstances.”

They have been able to start the goat project through a Go Fund Me fundraiser I (Holly) set up. I had initially met begun by introducing them to the concept of microlending and together we have learned what is needed for them to be “good” applicants for microlending. Since they have no banks, and no credit history, people are encouraged to begin small group savings and loans, keep records, and begin to show financial responsibility/accountability, as well as develop a viable business plan. I am completely confident Joel and his team will be able to accomplish this, but they will go through a training program and it takes time.

They are hungry now. So I started the Go Fund Me effort. After one month, we have raised $1,949, with $630 of that being sent to them just today. With this money they have been able to repair a pen and fencing, purchase feed, equipment and 10 goats! They’ve had the goats for almost 2 weeks now, so this is all very new…but they are getting some milk now…so already some bit of hunger for a few of them is being alleviated. The next aspect of the project begins with the receipt of the money today. They will begin readying to receive day old chicks. It

will take ~4 ½ months for the 1^st eggs to come. They should be getting eggs by the end of September. The goats will help them to begin to sell some milk so begin to bring in some revenue to support their growth sooner than that. The Go Fund Me campaign is 2/3rd's of the way to it's goal of $3,000.

We all know that if people do not have enough food to eat, healing from trauma is almost impossible, as hunger is a dailyand life-threatening trauma. We can help Joel and the people in Nakivale, while helping to spread the healing power of EP. When we do so we will make a very big difference, rather up close and personally, experiencing the difference we are making as we witness the work that is being done there.

The first photo is from the first day they received the goats. Joel is the one dressed in black.

The second is from a few days after that when a few of the goats needed some help from a vet.

 Finally, the last picture needs no explanation! But I will share that they tapped at the end of that first day sharing gratitude and thanksgiving for the presence of the goats and those who helped make this possible and to end their day with inner calm and peace.

Anything you can contribute will be SO GREATLY and LOVINGLY appreciated by this beautiful group of people! This includes prayers and blessings. Thank you!!!

You can follow more of this on-going story and here more from Joel directly (as soon as his Facebook glitch is resolved) on my facebook page: Holly Timberlake. You can even befriend him there. He is a beautiful soul!