RETRAK values people. We value the children we work with, our supporters and our staff. Our mission statement says “Building a strong national staff team is a priority reflected in careful selection, training, development and capacity building”. As part of our mission to provide professional social work and create lasting impact in the lives of street and former street children RETRAK organised a training course in Nairobi, Kenya earlier in December which brought together RETRAK staff from Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as staff from three other organisations working with street children in Kenya and DRC.
The course is aimed at those working primarily and directly with street and former street children and covers child development, recognising and handling trauma, child abuse and counselling skills and techniques.  Its content is foundational and eventually may evolve in to a core, minimum training for every RETRAK child care worker.  

The training is being run by Dr Gladys Mwiti and her team from OASIS Africa. Oasis Africa offers training and post trauma counselling in a specialised and professional way.  Gladys has a particular passion for children so the opportunity for real synergy was quickly picked up on.
 
Andy Williams, RETRAK’s CEO attended the training and said “There have been excellent sessions but what is doubly exciting is witnessing staff influencing and inspiring each other as they share experience and build relationship across borders.  This is the first real step forward to creating and increasing a sense of belonging to a wider organisation. Apart from four from The Tigers Club and two from RETRAK Ethiopia, we have included social workers from three other projects that we have some kind of relationship with - from our Partner Project, The Caleb Project in Eldoret, Kenya; from Watu Wa Maana (meaning VIPs) the project here in Nairobi that I accredited through the 180 Alliance and also Dino Mozart from Bunia in DRC where so many of the street children are children of war.  He runs HCLS (Help and Care For Little Souls) and is bringing a real depth to the training with his insight and experience of working with traumatised children.”
 
We are grateful to a private trust who generously covered the entire costs of the course. This means we can equip each project with text books and manuals written by Dr Mwiti.
 
Gladys spoke passionately at the opening of the training course. She said
 
"This training is a result of persistence, patience and prayer since first meeting Andy.  But it is dangerous.  Why?  Because it  will challenge you afresh.  You will end up thinking, "I am committed to RETRAK of course - but am I really committed?"  How committed are you?  Have you started to devalue or undervalue the role that you play?  There is always more challenge ahead if you are ready for it.  This place is dangerous because it is the kind of event you get a special leading from God to build on and extend what you are already doing.  Our first task is to create safe places for children.  Never undervalue what God has given you - simply offer it to Him"