This morning I paid a visit to our neighbours in City of
Hope school, along with some representatives of John Hopkins University who are
funding a study and counsellor training on Cognitive Based Therapy (CBT). City of Hope was founded, as Sr Richarda: a
Polish Salesian Sister, tells us ‘under a tree, about 20 years ago!’. Today it
plays host to over 750 pupils and 45 resident girls, who have been placed here
out of abusive homes. It is a remarkable place. As you enter you are greeted by
lines of children, in neatly pressed uniforms and sparkling white shirts,
making their way along the dirty road to class. The classroom as traditional
circular rooms mirroring many of the builds you see in the local villages.
The school has excellent facilities, is very well maintained
and, in keeping with anything run by Sisters, is spotlessly clean. The offer
classes up to grade 9 (Junior Cert Level) and hope to extend this to grade
12(Leaving Cert Level) when the new school building is complete. In additional are skills programmes in
catering, tailoring and design. They have a very well appointed computer room
and teach basic skills. The accommodation for the girls is simple but clean and
in excellent condition.
I see a number of white faces darting around the grounds and
the Sisters tell me that the school is very popular with international
volunteers. I met two, a young man from Germany who was teaching computers and
another European teaching French. There is a very peaceful atmosphere in City
of Hope, children played games, two young girls platted the blond locks of a
German volunteer and there was a lot of smiles and laughter. This seemed to be
one school children where happy going to.
The residential students have been placed in City of Hope by
the Ministry of Social Welfare who have removed them from dangerous and violent
home situations. These girls have had a very difficult time to now and suffered
trauma we, most possibly, can’t imagine. But here is a refuge for them, they
are given a chance of forming a good life and one sister tells us of the first
City of Hope weddings they had last year.
From humble beginnings, literally in the middle of a field, has grown a
vibrant, colourful, hope filled place whose motto is ‘joy, love and hard
work’…all three elements are evident in abundance.
SHARPZ (the project I am working with) along with JHU will
be introducing a programme of Trauma Focused CBT to City of Hope. Counsellors
will assess children and provide CBT to help those whose lives have been
affected by trauma of one kind or another. I have attached the link to the City
of Hope website which has buckets more information and some great photos.
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