Bethany Jeffers
Bethany Jeffers serves as the East Africa Regional Manager for Trauma Free World (www.traumafreeworld.org), and is based full-time in Tanzania. She oversees the TFW Affiliate Training Program in East Africa, equipping local men and women who embrace the principles of trauma-competent care to become certified to teach others within their communities and organizations.
Trauma Free World's mission is to provide trauma-informed care resources for "everyone, everywhere," across the world and in as many heart languages as possible, with a vision of seeing healthier families, stronger teams, and more resilient communities worldwide. Trauma Competent Care is a training course designed to equip the adults working most closely with vulnerable children and youth.
Bethany has over 10 years of mission experience in Tanzania, particularly in the area of mental health advocacy for vulnerable children and youth, and resources and support for caregiver parents.
Bethany's goal is to ensure that children and youth in East Africa have the opportunities they need to work through their past traumas, address their current challenges, and understand their future options. She seeks to equip caregivers, teachers, parents, and others in care positions to nurture a level of mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health that allows children and youth to grow and move forward in life, no matter what their life history holds.
Bethany partners with others in order to provide trauma-informed care education, healing groups for staff and youth, and child safety resources for children's homes, churches, and other organizations throughout Tanzania, and she works to make mental health resources available in the Swahili language.
Bethany holds a Bachelor's in Bible degree from the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, and a Master's in Counseling degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA. She is certified as an affiliate Trauma Competent Care trainer with Trauma Free World (www.traumafreeworld.org) and as an apprentice Trauma Healing facilitator with the Trauma Healing Institute (www.traumahealinginstitute.org).