Majengo Havening Program, Tanzania - January 2024
During five days in January the Majengo Children’s Home set out on a mission to improve mental health awareness and self-care by providing Havening training to 180 teachers serving 17 schools and over 8500 students.
Mental health is currently stigmatized in Tanzania and much of Africa. This program aimed to normalize discussion of stress and well-being among teachers- with the intended goal of their sharing learning with their families and students.
Havening is a sensory modality that helps with stress reduction and mood improvement through self application. It also can be used by a Havening provider to resolve trauma. Havening uses the sense perception of soothing touch (on the hands, shoulders, and face) to generate calming brain waves, and neurotransmitters and hormones (serotonin and oxytocin). It also reduces stress hormone (cortisol) levels.
After the Havening classes, self-reported calmness among teachers increased by 30 percent, and over 95 percent reported feeling calm. They were willing to embrace new learning about mental wellness and touch, and said the technique would be very helpful. The principals were particularly appreciative.
In addition to Self-Havening, Havening can be done on another person with safety, consent, and receptivity. Feelings about self-touch seemed to be positive among the teachers. There was appropriate caution about use with others depending on culture and circumstances. Havening between students was questioned- and this is consistent with it not being taught in schools in Western countries.
Havening improves many other helpful states for adults and children including focus, confidence, listening, readiness to learn, self-esteem, safety, happiness, and performance. As a result, Havening is a particularly beneficial intervention for schools. In addition to self-care, the Havening course trained teachers in how to incorporate Havening into their classrooms
and with individual students.
The Majengo Children’s Home created this program and provided not only the Havening trainer but also coordination with all of the schools, assistance by the center counselor and nurse, Havening posters and questionnaires, and transportation. Majengo staff will be following up in a month with the schools to check on implementation.
This was a highly successful program that promises to have lasting benefit to community school staff and students. It will now serve as a model for how to introduce Havening in different parts of the world.
During five days in January the Majengo Children’s Home set out on a mission to improve mental health awareness and self-care by providing Havening training to 180 teachers serving 17 schools and over 8500 students.
Mental health is currently stigmatized in Tanzania and much of Africa. This program aimed to normalize discussion of stress and well-being among teachers- with the intended goal of their sharing learning with their families and students.
Havening is a sensory modality that helps with stress reduction and mood improvement through self application. It also can be used by a Havening provider to resolve trauma. Havening uses the sense perception of soothing touch (on the hands, shoulders, and face) to generate calming brain waves, and neurotransmitters and hormones (serotonin and oxytocin). It also reduces stress hormone (cortisol) levels.
After the Havening classes, self-reported calmness among teachers increased by 30 percent, and over 95 percent reported feeling calm. They were willing to embrace new learning about mental wellness and touch, and said the technique would be very helpful. The principals were particularly appreciative.
In addition to Self-Havening, Havening can be done on another person with safety, consent, and receptivity. Feelings about self-touch seemed to be positive among the teachers. There was appropriate caution about use with others depending on culture and circumstances. Havening between students was questioned- and this is consistent with it not being taught in schools in Western countries.
Havening improves many other helpful states for adults and children including focus, confidence, listening, readiness to learn, self-esteem, safety, happiness, and performance. As a result, Havening is a particularly beneficial intervention for schools. In addition to self-care, the Havening course trained teachers in how to incorporate Havening into their classrooms
and with individual students.
The Majengo Children’s Home created this program and provided not only the Havening trainer but also coordination with all of the schools, assistance by the center counselor and nurse, Havening posters and questionnaires, and transportation. Majengo staff will be following up in a month with the schools to check on implementation.
This was a highly successful program that promises to have lasting benefit to community school staff and students. It will now serve as a model for how to introduce Havening in different parts of the world.
