James Gichogo, a  parent of children in Chamrecc School, is a miner and a cattleman. 

James had been suffering from PTSD for several years prior to learning TM. He started suffering after his son had drowned in a river, and things worsened after his wife had become mentally ill. To add to that misery, he became a victim of cattle rustling: on several occasions he woke up to find all the cattle in his herd gone.

"When I heard about the benefits of TM during the introductory meeting at Chamrecc School, I was very skeptical."

James had good reason to be skeptical. "I had tried many methods of dealing with stress. A few years ago, I participated in a program called healing the wound... Through that program, I met many groups of people in Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda who were suffering from trauma... I was myself a sufferer, but I tried to help them. It was a painful process and not very successful..."

James decided to learn TM despite the skepticism: "I felt I had nothing to lose."

James explained, “Within just a few weeks of beginning TM, I was a completely different person.... I felt like someone who had regained the ability to think and move the body after a long period of suffering paralysis... I have become a useful human being once again.”

​I got in touch with the groups of stressed people in my area in Kenya and Tanzania. Many of them have now learnt TM and are enjoying relief from stress. They were so happy with initial experiences of their meditation, even from a humble start like they are in.” 
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“The miners promised to help fund our TM projects in the area in future once they strike gold.”

On October 5 at the Grand Hall on 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will attend a Health and Human Services Charity Fair to encourage support for worthy non-profits. African PTSD Relief, representated by Dr. Katie Grose and founding President David Shapiro will attend along with 26 other approved causes.  We will present the next-generation PTSD relief strategy that can transform the lives of up to 100 million Africans plagued by post-traumatic stress. 

The presentations run from noon to 2 PM.

Surgeon General is of Indian descent, has a history of support for alternative health care approaches and practices some kind of meditation. He also voiced his support for a TM school quiet time project in Visitation Valley Middle School, San Francisco.

Solomon Mwangi, Director for African PTSD Relief for Kenya and Tanzania, explains that several new groups with high levels of stress are benefiting PTSD from relief programs across the two countries.

In the Global One School in the largest urban slum in Africa, just outside of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, 4 new faculty and 20 students were recently taught Transcendental Meditation.

In the Tasmarra region, where cattle rustling and theft have caused many violent conflicts, groups and schools have asked for support.

On the Tanzania-Kenya boarder the Nguvu Kazi Women’s group teamed up with African PTSD Relief to manage and reduce stress. “Nguvu Kazi,”which means “strength for work.”  A first group of 48 women were instructed in Transcendental Meditation and are delighted with the benefits they are gaining.  

This group is from the Kuria tribe and many have experienced horrendous trauma and likely suffer post-traumatic stress disorder.

​Five members of this group had learnt Transcendental Meditation (TM ) last year and they are the ones who spread the word that a simple technique is available that gives relief from stress and trauma. Solomon Mwangi reports: “they had very good results by the time we finished the third day of follow-up after learning TM. The heavy weight of trauma has lifted and they feel relieved and a fresh sense of purpose of life”. 

“There is really a very big demand and acceptance of TM in this area”, Solomon says. “Now there is another women's group of 64 that is keen to learn TM immediately.”

​On Thursday, September 22, Dr. Katie Grose and founding President of African PTSD Relief David Shapiro gave presentations to some of the ​5000 employees at a ​complex of Health and Human Services ( HHS) who work with the Federal Drug Administration ( FDA) in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

​Along with meeting many interested people and inspiring them with the amazing speed that Transcendental Meditation (TM) reduces post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD,  they talked with the Combined Federal Campaign administrators who invited African PTSD Relief to participate in the main HHS Charity Fair that will be held Oct 5 of 6 and will include top HHS administrators. 

​​Inspired by Dr. Katie Grose, the National TM organization in the United States invited African PTSD Relief to coordinate with the TM teachers in the DC area to encourage Federal employees who learned TM to help set up charity fairs. 

The United States TM administration and African PTSD Relief are jointly offering a $120 discount​ (Gift Certificate) ​ to all Federal employees who would like to learn TM at the local T​M​ Centers around Washington, DC and the National Capital area.

African PTSD Relief has been invited to attend a​nother​ Charity Fair at the Department of Health and Human Services​ ( HHS)​, this time in Silver Spring, Maryland. On September 8th, we inspired several people at HHS in DC to donate and to learn Transcendental Meditation. A team of 30 co-workers will receive a presentation on both TM and PTSD Relief in the next few months. 

​The Charity Fair on September 22 will be held for HHS ​employees at 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring Maryland in the Atrium between 1 and 3 PM. ​​

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​At the Charity Fairs we show a video of PTSD survivor Esperance Ndonzi, discuss our PowerPoint presentation and offer a Gift Certificate from African PTSD Relief to all Federal Employee who would like to learn Transcendental Meditation (a $120 reduction of the $960 adult rate for learning TM).
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​Dr. Katie Grose, Chair of the Bethesda TM Center, and I will present African PTSD Relief and inspire both donations and the employees to learn TM.

T​he Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), the annual Federal Government charity drive run by Federal Government employees for Federal Government employees, holds charity fairs around the National Capital area and elsewhere around the country, to inspire Federal employees to support effective 501C3 causes. 

​The motto this year is: