Business & Letters

January 1, 2012 Trauma Resources International (“TRI”) Annual Report TRI was established in 2010 based on requests from local non-governmental organizations in Haiti, The Middle East and elsewhere who did not have a budget to pay for the specialized training and consulting services TRI’s Director had provided to partner agencies in those regions. Immediately following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, TRI mobilized to assist in disaster response efforts. Early in 2011, TRI moved from assisting with direct disaster response efforts in Haiti, to focusing on two smaller, community-based, mental health programs. TRI’s involvement in these programs comes at the direct invitation of a local Haitain NGO, with whom TRI’s Director has a longstanding professional relationship. The Sant Siko Twama (“Psycho Trauma Center”) was established jointly by URAMEL and IDEO, a few months after the 2010 earthquake, to provide much needed health and mental health services in Port au Prince. At …

January 12, 2012 Dear Supporter, Happy New Year! Your support over the last two years has been a lifeline for many in Haiti. You have provided the funding for projects through your generous contributions that otherwise would not have taken place. As we acknowledge the 2-year anniversary of the earthquake that destroyed Port au Prince, Haiti, my message is straightforward: Trauma Resources International (“TRI”) needs your help. The demand is ongoing. Many NGO’s have reduced, withdrawn, or are in the process of withdrawing, their programs. This withdrawal will leave thousands of Haitians without much needed services. Everything you’ve heard about aid that never arrived, the relatively small amount of rubble that has been removed, and the lack of leadership and support during crucial recovery periods is true. In 2010, we focused our efforts on direct assistance to local organizations assisting survivors of the earthquake. We provided training in Psychological First …

Haiti is an island of contrasts and extremes: rich cultural traditions and oppressive poverty, polluted filth and beautiful landscapes, fine artistry and unbearable suffering. The history of Haiti is one of bloodshed, oppression, and an ongoing struggle for liberation that still continues. One of the most tragic outcomes of this state of affairs is the suffering experienced by children. The case study presented here describes my work with a former street child — one of an estimated 300,000 street children in Port Au Prince alone — who is also a survivor of torture. He was found on the streets several years ago by members of a program called “Wings of Hope” (WOH). WOH run a group home for abandoned children who are also emotionally and physically challenged. The work described in this case study derives from the fields of somatic psychology and dance movement therapy (DMT). Somatic psychology posits that …