Lucy began her studies at Makerere University in 1989: “To me being selected to attend school at this prestigious University was really great – I saw it as God’s hand at work because many students missed such an opportunity on account of the war.” She received a Bachelor of Arts in Education. The teaching subjects for her degree were Religious Education and History: Lucy shares, “History and religion are really about human suffering and the search for solutions to end such suffering.”
Although Lucy began her professional career as a teacher, she looks back on that experience and notes ways in which she was already functioning as a counselor for her students: “One time as a class teacher, I noted this particular girl who was very stubborn and acting disobedient. The normal action on the part of an educator would have been to punish her or send her out of school. Instead, I took time to listen to her and expressed a genuine interest in her wellbeing. As I listened to her story, I learned that she was an orphan and that she was responsible for taking care of her younger siblings at home.” Indeed, active listening, strong communication skills and a natural empathy are the key attributes of Lucy’s counseling practice at THRIVEGulu.
Over time, Lucy has learned Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) and Interpersonal Psychotherapy in Groups (IPT-G). Currently, Lucy is finishing an intensive program on trauma recovery conducted by the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT). She feels that these particular counseling methods all contribute to what she calls “THRIVE’s 3-prong Approach for Survivors: Counseling, Empowerment and Literacy.” Having lived through the Kony war from 1989 to 1993, at a time when insecurity was at its peak, Lucy reflects on the important work of THRIVE: “In Uganda, we believe that to educate a woman is to educate an entire nation. Hence, THRIVEGulu’s approach to pull communities out of challenges like poverty and psychological trauma is urgently needed.” Like others at THRIVE, Lucy’s faith is strong: “God is the greatest counselor and healer!”
