As often as I can, I travel to Kigali to teach trauma-informed care to educators at Rwanda Children Christian School — children who carry histories that deserve better than what they've been given.
The children at Rwanda Children Christian School in Kigali carry histories of trauma, displacement, and loss. But their teachers — who show up every single day — often carry those same weights, silently.
My work here is to equip educators with a Three Pillars framework rooted in neuroscience: how to create safety, honor voice and dignity, and restore connection after rupture — so they can pass these principles on to the children in their care.
Sessions are delivered in English and Kinyarwanda, in groups of educators across all grade levels from Pre-K through 8th grade. The school also serves families in the surrounding community.
Dr. Laurie Bailey is a trauma-informed leadership educator and researcher with 20+ years of experience in high-stakes clinical, research, and mission-driven environments — including work as a behavior modification specialist with Our Father's Children.
"Trauma-informed care isn't a program. It's a posture — a way of asking what happened to you, not what's wrong with you."
Her Three Pillars framework — Lead Safely, Lead with Voice, Lead with Restoration — grounds every session she teaches in Rwanda and every workshop she brings back home.
Learn More About Laurie