NGO trains IDP camp teachers on trauma care

A Social enterprise organisation, Illuminating Minds in collaboration with its partners Shamiri Institute and Charis Healthcare & Community Support Initiative, recently trained 67 teachers in the Mangu IDP camp in Plateau State on trauma-informed classroom care.

The training according to the organisers is tagged “A Teacher with a Difference”

A statement by the organization and signed by its founder, Dr. Itari Turner stated that the training was carefully designed to help teachers better understand the signs and symptoms of trauma, and how to create a safe and supportive learning environment for children who have experienced trauma.

Turner said that the training was essential for teachers in IDP camps as many of the children they teach have experienced significant trauma.

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“Children who have experienced trauma often have difficulty learning. They may be withdrawn, aggressive, or have difficulty paying attention. By understanding the signs and symptoms of trauma, teachers can better support these children and help them succeed in school,” she noted.

Speaking further, she said the training equally focused on trauma healing for the teachers themselves.

The organisation while calling for stakeholders to support and pay attention to the mental health, trauma and education needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), announced that she is on mission to visit and train teachers in at least 100 IDP camps across Nigeria by the end of 2024.