Tecla Namachanja Foundation

Tecla Namachanja Healing and Peace Foundation

After working with both government and non-governmental organizations, both local and international, Dr. Tecla has started her own institution, the 'Tecla Namachanja Healing and Peace Foundation'. This endeavor brings her passion for serving those who are suffering from human conflicts and related trauma closer to her heart.

The Tecla Namachanja Healing and Peace Foundation focuses on giving hope to those who are nursing deep wounds of bloodshed, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse trauma, loss of loved ones, and losing hope of overcoming such tragedies. With special training and professional skills in managing victims of abuse and counseling, Dr. Tecla is well-versed and equipped to bring hope and confidence in managing such pain through forgiveness, finding new purpose, energy, and moving on with life.

Supporting the Internally Displaced Persons.

Dr. Tecla Namachanja Wanjala, the founding members of Tecla Namachanja Healing and Peace Foundation started her career as a Relief and Rehabilitation Coordinator internally displaced victims of ethnic clashes in 1992. While serving Internally Displaced People (IDP) of 1991/1992 violent conflicts she saw the need to support women IDP deal with their traumatic experiences. Tecla was instrumental facilitating community dialogue among conflicting communities who were mainly from Bungoma and Transnzoia Counties. The dialogues led to the peaceful settlements of their conflicts which led to the settlement of IDPs back to their farms in 1994.

Dr. Tecla Namachanja visiting IDP in Mt. Elgon in 1992 being taken around by Milk Kemei, a Community leader.

PSYCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES TRAUMATIZED BY ARMED CONFLICTS.

Following the traumatic experience of communities in Mt. Elgon caused by the 2006–2008-armed conflicts, Tecla was one of the peacebuilder intervened to alleviate the suffering of community members. She provided space for women to mourn and grieve the loss and pain caused by the violent conflicts. Two subclans were involved in the conflict, the Soy and Mesop (Mdorobo).

Dr. Namachanja holding a Space for Women from the Soy Community at Cheptonon Church in 2008. With Permission -from left to right are Milka Kemei, now Mt. Elgon Circle Meeting Coordinator, Phanice and Eunice, both of them now supporting SCCoDev circle meetings as Community Mobilizers.

Supporting women from the Ndorobo community dealing with their emotional wounds.

Another 3 days of mourning.

After 6 days of mourning, the journey of reconciliation started here when some women from the Soy Community joined women from the Ndorobo Community for a joint group photo. They also formed a joint committee which dealt with the aftermath of the violent conflicts.

TRAUMATIC WOUNDS, BREAKING CIRCLES OF VIOLENCE:

Through Shalom Centre for Counselling and Development (SCCoDev) Tecla has continued to providing Psycho-Social Support to communities in Mt. Elgon since 2020. (See the pictures and a short documentary). Kapkirok healing circle meeting for widows (women Circle) in 2020.

Rekindling the hope:

What violence does is to rob its victims’ of hope in life. The people we usually meet during the first two days are angry, with less hope and people who have given up in life and on their families. The people we usually part with at the end of the 5 days’ sessions are people full of hope and ready to dare dreaming again. So, we usually end on a high note being celebrated by our participants. What an honor!

Celebrating circle holders (moments to celebrate). Follow-ups with the villagers to monitor healing and reconciliation. Trauma as its name suggests, takes time to heal, and requires staying in touch with the victims. We schedule regular meetings with the affected communities in the villages. This helps to ease the pain, and opens up that fealing of reconciliation and forgiveness.

MT. ELGON TRIBAL CONFLICTS

Tribal Conflicts because of land for food production, grazing and settlement has been a thorn in Kenya for many years. Mt Elgon has experienced its share of suffering just like other parts of the country with similar challenges. Such conflicts cause an imaginable trauma on people. The worst affect being women, children, and the elderly.

SCARS THAT REQURE HEALING

The painful scars left behind by the ravages of war or internal conflicts. Learning interruptions, injuries, loss of loved ones, homes, farmland causes unbearable suffering? After the conflicts, moving on with life is impossible without counselling, forgiveness and healing.

WOMEN IN AGONY

As much as human rights need protection around the world, there is urgent need to attend to and support those who have been victimised. Dr. Tecla Namachanja through her organisation such as SHALOM and in collaboration with other human rights organisations offer much need support, counselling, forgiveness and healing.

A MEETING WITH THE ELDERS

Kapkirok Elder’s circle meeting (in 2021).

A MEETING WITH THE YOUTH

Cheptonon youth circle meeting (2021).

The impact of the healing circle meetings:

The healing circle sessions have been very transformative in the communities where they have been held. The healing spaces created have led to a great impact in healing, restoring hope, repairing relationships and transforming the conflicts among the affected people in this community.

POSITIVE SIGNS OF HEALING

Cheptonon Chair persons (signs of healing) demonstrating how she happily walked in style to the meeting. How people on the way could not recognize her because of the transformation she had gone through during the 5-day healing circle meeting.

SUPPORTING THE VICTIMS

The first two days are usually the most difficult as we share and discuss our traumatic experiences, “our torn baskets”.

Healing starts taking place during the third day where we start observing changes among the participants such as ease and confidence in opening up, testimonies of people being able to rest and sleep. People looking kempt, and confidence and gaining courage to let go and forgive. These is an indication they are making a journey towards their own healing.

Towards the end, we could hear circle participant sharing the following: ‘I can now talk to my children in a good way without anger. There is always great laughter unlike the first two days which are characterised by mourning and grieving.

TECLA GAVE US NEW HOPE

+254728604430

tecla@tnwanjala.com / tnamachanja@gmail.com