The civilian population of Liberia is still suffering from the after-effects of the long civil war from 1989 to 2003, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and forced millions of people to flee their homes. Many Liberians have experienced severe trauma, marked by extreme violence against the civilian population, including massacres, sexualized violence and the forced recruitment of children and youth as soldiers, as well as the loss of loved ones, homes and livelihoods.
Psychosocial care in the country is severely underdeveloped. Professionals for trauma care are scarce, psychiatric services are rare and many of those affected receive no systematic support. As a result, many people suffer lasting trauma consequences that affect their quality of life, health and social participation.
Against this background, the need for qualified trauma aid in Liberia is particularly high. Projects that train professionals, strengthen psychosocial structures and promote community approaches are crucial to enable sustainable support, stability and healing in the affected regions.
Our Partner Organization
In Liberia, we have been working with the Lutheran Church in Liberia (LCL) – Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Program (THRP) since 2022. With this program, the church supports communities and individuals, especially in rural regions, in psychosocial rehabilitation and peacebuilding.
We pass on our knowledge of stabilizing and resource-oriented trauma care to LCL-THRP employees. This enables them to provide targeted support to traumatized people in their environment and promote the mental health of people in their communities.
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Our Projects
Further Training for Trauma Specialists
We are strengthening psychosocial care in Liberia.
We are strengthening psychosocial care in Liberia through practical training for 20 employees of the Lutheran Church in Liberia. Th participants learn what trauma is, how it can affect the brain and how to support people after traumatic experiences.
The training consists mainly of practical exercises: Participants apply the methods, reflect on their experiences and learn how they can use them directly in their work. The training focuses on helping employees to strengthen their own resources and to deal with stressful situations.
A special feature of this training is that we bring the perspective of trauma care with individuals while learning from our partners how to promote healing in the community. This creates a mutual learning space in which we discover new perspectives on trauma care together.
Between August 2026 and January 2027, what has been learned will be further consolidated through face-to-face meetings in Monrovia, regular online supervision and exchanges in small groups. This enables the professionals to apply their knowledge in the long term, provide targeted support to traumatized people and promote psychosocial stability in the communities.
Every year, participants in our training courses in Liberia take part in an international refresher seminar at Labenbachhof in Ruhpolding.
