OUR BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: UNICEF GRANT IN LIBERIA

We are ECSTATIC to announce that UNICEF has provided Playing to Live-Liberia with a 6-month grant. This grant is made possible by our partnership with RESH and our close working relationship with the Liberian Ministry of Gender and the Survivor's Network. 

As part of the new UNICEF grant, Playing to Live's team will expand to 40 new program associates, all women who survived Ebola, like Decontee and Helen! The program will last 6 months, reaching 800 children who are affected by Ebola in their communities through play and art recreational activities. The program will also offer support to the parents and guardians of these children through 40 social workers who will provide weekly visits.

Playing to Live will train our program associates and the social workers in our expressive therapy training curriculum. The training covers essential tools in working with children who have experienced trauma. It guides the trainees to understand how to utilize their cultural arts to support relationship building, safety building, communication, and emotional expression. The expressive therapies (art therapy, play therapy, yoga therapy, music, and child life) are evidence based practices that are essential tools to trauma recovery. By using expression and art, we are supporting the cultures we work in to build sustainable and relevant programs, and we are teaching child friendly techniques.

We can't stop here. With large programs come large responsibilities, and we need your support more than ever. Please consider donating to our cause. Our initial donors provided us the ability to build this program, and we need more than ever the support to make this a SUCCESS!!

If you are an expressive therapist, PLEASE visit our donation page on our website. We have an opportunity for you to make a hand print in our global work. Please follow the instructions and donate now and often! The activities you create will be the core of our program.

 To everyone: This is a HUGE step in our grassroots initiative, and we absolutely need YOUR voice to carry us! Please share our story. 

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