Havening in Africa
Havening in Africa
Majengo Havening Program, Tanzania- Jan 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.
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.
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.
Uganda January 2025
With the leadership of Derick Ongeiwun and his Move Network International team in Kampala, the Humanitarian Havening organization taught Havening to young mothers and their children, school teachers and administrators, and orphanage communities in Uganda in January 2025. The MoveNET staff took us to six schools near Kampala to show staff how to use Havening on themselves and in the classroom. Additionally, we did Havening with young mothers as a workshop indoors and then as a family exercise with their children outdoors. During the week we also showed Havening to about 60 children near Mbale who live under the care of local villagers, whom we taught as well. This was a terrific experience of the joy and benefit of Havening among family members. Further, it was an opportunity for residents of Kampala and Mbale to teach and explain the fruits of Havening to their own communities in their own words, with our support. It was a fun and very impactful week.
With the leadership of Derick Ongeiwun and his Move Network International team in Kampala, the Humanitarian Havening organization taught Havening to young mothers and their children, school teachers and administrators, and orphanage communities in Uganda in January 2025. The MoveNET staff took us to six schools near Kampala to show staff how to use Havening on themselves and in the classroom. Additionally, we did Havening with young mothers as a workshop indoors and then as a family exercise with their children outdoors. During the week we also showed Havening to about 60 children near Mbale who live under the care of local villagers, whom we taught as well. This was a terrific experience of the joy and benefit of Havening among family members. Further, it was an opportunity for residents of Kampala and Mbale to teach and explain the fruits of Havening to their own communities in their own words, with our support. It was a fun and very impactful week.
Kenya- February 2025
Humanitarian Havening came to Kenya by way of Havening delegate and wellness educator Marilyn Sorenson, who comes from Utah and married a Maasai husband. In their town of Narok and surrounding areas we taught Havening at five schools- first to teachers, and then with the teachers’ help to most of the student body. Sometimes this amounted to hundreds of students all gathered on the lawn. During these workshops, the principals and teachers were so receptive and enthusiastic that they led the groups on their own through various Havening exercises. This showed us again how powerful Havening is when adopted by the local leaders and conveyed in their terms. The staff and students particularly enjoyed Partner Havening, Affirmational Havening, and Dance Havening (while listening to “Baby Shark"). After this amazing time in Narok, Humanitarian Havening met with psychotherapists in Nairobi to teach them self-care and treatment options with Havening. Therapy is still not widely utilized even in Nairobi, and this makes group Havening even more important.
Humanitarian Havening came to Kenya by way of Havening delegate and wellness educator Marilyn Sorenson, who comes from Utah and married a Maasai husband. In their town of Narok and surrounding areas we taught Havening at five schools- first to teachers, and then with the teachers’ help to most of the student body. Sometimes this amounted to hundreds of students all gathered on the lawn. During these workshops, the principals and teachers were so receptive and enthusiastic that they led the groups on their own through various Havening exercises. This showed us again how powerful Havening is when adopted by the local leaders and conveyed in their terms. The staff and students particularly enjoyed Partner Havening, Affirmational Havening, and Dance Havening (while listening to “Baby Shark"). After this amazing time in Narok, Humanitarian Havening met with psychotherapists in Nairobi to teach them self-care and treatment options with Havening. Therapy is still not widely utilized even in Nairobi, and this makes group Havening even more important.
