END THE PAIN PROJECT MIRROR THERAPY WORKSHOPS EXPAND TO SIERRA LEONE

Jean Luc Ngambre training Mondeh Abdulaziz

Cutting off peoples’ limbs, in most cases their hands, was one of the brutal strategies used by members of the Revolutionary United Front to terrify people to support them during the 1991-2002 civil war in Sierra Leone. 

Some 27,000 Sierra Leoneans are estimated to have been disabled or have had one or more limbs amputated during that time. Many of these amputees still suffer phantom limb pain years after the war.

End The Pain Project addresses this lingering problem with the training of Mondeh Abdulaziz on November 19-20, 2016 by ETPP Senior Trainer Jean Luc Ngambre in Burera District, Rwanda. 

 Mondeh Abdulaziz, Mirror Therapy Practitioner

Mr. Abdulaziz received certification as an ETPP Mirror Therapy Practitioner on December 5, 2016 and will offer the effective pain-eliminating therapy at peer-to-peer workshops for amputees  in Sierra Leone upon his return.

Sierra Leone now joins Rwanda as part of ETPP Pan-Africa headed by Jean Luc Ngambre.

Rwandan Amputees Volunteer for Peer-To-Peer Mirror Therapy Programs in Refugee Camps

Rwandan Kiziba Refugee Camp Amputees and Family Supporters

In a first for Rwanda, 17 refugee amputees volunteered to become active in a Peer-to-Peer Mirror Therapy Group for End The Pain Project. They were part of a group of 50 amputees and family members who attended a recent Mirror Therapy for Phantom Pain Workshop held at the Kiziba Refugee Camp.

The idea of the peer-to-program was introduced by ETPP Representative for Africa, Jean Luc Ngarambe, who sees it as an effective limited budget model that can be extended to the greater African continent.

On a scale of 1-10, with '1' indicating no pain and '10' indicating excruciating pain, most of the volunteers had endured pain levels that hovered around '8'. Those who had limbs chopped off during the Rwandan genocide have endured intense levels of recurring phantom pain for over twenty years. Practicing with mirrors for thirty days, their pain levels will now be lowered to the point where they can function more effectively, below the 5-level, or no longer experiencing phantom limb pain.

Kiziba amputee at start of Mirror Therapy demonstration

Amputees watch the Mirror Therapy demonstration

Family members take notes on how to support amputees

These are the courageous and generous KizibaVolunteers who will become Certified ETPP Trainers, leading other amputees in Rwanda's refugee camp away from suffering phantom limb pain.

Gentille M., 24, lost right arm as a child in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Jean Leo B., 39, lost left leg in car accident

Agnes M., 36, lost left leg as a teen in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Alexandre N., 40, lost right arm in accident

Donatha N., 31, lost right arm as a child in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Emmanuel S., 48, lost left arm in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Evariste G., 44, lost left leg in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Andre M., 44, lost right leg in car accident

Tite M., 33, lost left hand as a teen in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Gerome N., 58, lost right leg in Rwandan genocide 1998

Herman N., 55, lost right leg in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Jack H., 35,  lost right leg as a teen in 1994 Rwandan genocide

 Jean Bosco R., 45, lost left leg in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Jean Bosco H., 39, lost right leg due to disease

Felician M., 43,  lost left hand due to a car accident

Pierre M., 26,  lost right hand as a child in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Jean Bosco U., 56, lost left leg in 1994 Rwandan genocide

Inspiring Amputee Peer-To-Peer First Review Meeting, Hai Lang, Vietnam

Amputee Peer-To-Peer 1st Review Meeting, Hai Lang, Vietnam

One month after a peer-to-peer group in Hai Lang, Vietnam, learned how to use mirror therapy at home to relieve the symptoms of phantom pain, they met to share their progress and the impact of the therapy on their lives.

The impact was profound; a solid model for a network of other peer-to-peer amputee groups to meet in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam.

Most of the amputees said that their pain was improved or reduced from at least 30% up to  80% and are thankful for the therapy. 

Several people revealed that they had drank a lot of alcohol to forget their pain, while others stated that their pain would drive them to anger easily when relating to family and friends. Now, they said, practice with the mirror has helped them in these matters. 

All of the participants look forward to further progress and are highly committed to remain in the project until it is completed in March, 2015. 

According to Nguyen Thanh Phu, the next step for Project Renew is to team up with the Quang Tri Provincial Disabled People's Association to seek resources for expanding the model into the Association's grassroots networks, so that more and more amputees can benefit from this effective, inexpensive treatment.