We did this by increasing the accessibility of informative and engaging training resources tailored for educators, parents/caregivers, and youth-serving professionals.
Clear, actionable, engaging
Easy to access online
Useful for all educational levels
Evidence-based, culturally-informed, relevant
Informative + emotionally connective
When children are supported in their mental health and well-being, we can expect the following:
Dear Friends, It’s been 5 years since the founding of No Limit Generation, and it’s time to say goodbye from my desk. Our mission however, still lives on. In this letter I detail the global impact NLG has had through your support, and part with a final word…
I recall vividly the day that I knew that an organization like No Limit Generation would need to be founded. It was September 2017 and I initiated a project called the “Safe Haven” in response to the brutal genocide of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. The goal was to create a protective facility where 100 children would be provided safety and mental health support to help manage the traumas they had experienced.
Upon opening the Safe Haven, it was not 100, but 500 Rohingya children that showed up at the gates. It was here that the extent of which they endured became clear. Clutching crayons in their tiny hands, they expressed on paper what they were battling within: green for army uniforms; orange for fire; black for machine guns and machetes; brown for lifeless bodies; and red — so much red — for pools blood. I had never seen crayons used in this way.
Recognizing that most children — even in the most advanced nations– will not be able to afford or be in close proximity to a mental health professional, No Limit Generation was founded with a mission to break down the barriers of access to mental health so that every child can live a happy and successful life.
Over the last five years, your generous guidance and support enabled us to form strong partnerships with government agencies, leading humanitarian organizations, educational institutions, and global NGOs to create and deliver powerful, evidence-based, and culturally appropriate mental health and child well-being training experiences in the form of quality, engaging films and illustrated guidebooks. This content was made in partnership with the world’s leading subject-matter experts, which was then made accessible online and offline, and at no-cost to global beneficiaries.
Since its founding in 2018, NLG’s training content has been accessed by tens of thousands of educators, youth-serving professionals, humanitarians, and parents/guardians from the front lines of conflict and natural disaster zones, to homes, classrooms, universities, and training facilities around the US and over 100 countries around the world.
1. “Lean on Me: A Caregivers’ Guide to Safeguarding Children and Supporting Healing from Sexual Abuse” – In partnership with RAINN (the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization) and the Oak Foundation for US nationwide release (2022/2023).
2. “Spring Blossoms: Children Flourishing Through Adversity in Myanmar” – Mental Health Support for Affected Children of Myanmar’s Civil War in partnership with the US Institute of Peace through funding from the US Department of State (2022).
3. “Breaking the Cycle: Reclaiming Hope and Belonging for Youth Leaving Institutional Care in Uganda” – In partnership with Child’s-i-Foundation Uganda and Grand Challenges Canada (2022).
4. “Thrive Children’s Resilience Initiative” – Natural Disaster and Community Resilience in partnership with North Valley Community Foundation, American Red Cross, California Community Foundation, and California Fire Foundation (2021).
5. “Rise and Thrive: Refugee Well-being and Child Protection Series” – In partnership with JAAGO Foundation and AMURT Global Disaster Relief and Development Co-operation in the Rohingya Refugee camps of Bangladesh (2019).
6. “Covid-19 Timely Response Series for Parents and Educators” – In partnership with Natural Born Leaders, Everybody Matters, Harvard University’s PEAR Institute, RAINN, Breath-Body-Mind (2020).
When we began our work in 2017, children’s mental health ranked among the lowest in global humanitarian expenditures, at just 00.14 cents out of every $100.00 USD spent. That figure is now changing thanks to the global coalition of global partners and organizations advancing the cause. We are honored to have been a part of this global shift as more attention, research, and resources are being directed to advancing children’s mental health and well-being for the most vulnerable populations in the US and around the world.
Our research, project design, development, and implementation have been published or presented on high-profile platforms including: The American Psychiatric Association Annual Conferences (APA – 2019 and 2020; Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE – 2021); Comparative and International Educational Society (CIES – 2021) Innovations in Mental Health book publication by Springer (2022); and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies 38 Annual Meeting (ISTSS, 2022). If you would like to read my report published in the Journal on Education in Emergencies, you may access it here, “Accessible Strategies to Support Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing in Emergencies: Experience from the Rohingya Refugee Camp.”
While we will not be taking on new projects, our mission lives on in the following ways:
In one of my favorite passages from the Gospels, Jesus was asked by his disciples, “Who, then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus responded by calling a child over. Gently taking the child into his arms, he said, “…Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name, welcomes me.” (Mathew 18, Mark 9, Luke 9). He then issued a stern warning against anyone who “causes one of these little ones…to stumble.” (Mathew 18:6)
Around the world we see far too many children stumbling. Over 500 million children currently live in conflict and crisis zones; and there are over 1 billion children who have been abused over the last year — be it physical, sexual, mental/emotional abuse (World Health Organization). It’s up to us to break the cycle and reverse this concerning trajectory. Fortunately, there are actions we can take to make this possible.
The impact of of childhood trauma can be mitigated or reversed when we do these five things:
1. Create safe, structured, and inclusive environments for children to play in every day. The availability of safe, predictable, and inclusive environments where children can play, learn, and interact with others is healing for those who may have lost the social safety nets they once had, or experience unpredictability in their lives.
2. Engage children through informed, trustworthy, and supportive adults. When adult caregivers are informed and engaged as trusted role models, their presence plays a critical role in a child’s healthy development.
3. Believe in children’s potential to heal and live a fulfilled life. When adult caregivers see a child as strong, resilient, and adaptive, the child is less likely to view him/herself as “broken” or in need of “fixing.” When caregivers believe in a child’s limitless potential, the child has a broader vision of the possibilities available to them in life. We as caregivers are not there to save children: rather, we are there to witness and encourage their true potential.
4. Practice self-care before child care. We cannot give to others when what we have to offer is an empty cup. It is vital that caregivers/guardians/educators prevent burn-out by taking time to feel centered, supported, and full. Only in this way can we show up at our best and make a life changing difference for a child. We model what self-care looks like for children; and children take notice and follow. Centering oneself might look like cultivating a mental health, wellness, or spiritual routine; and/or taking time to engage in relaxing, calming, or inspiring activities. When we feel balanced and refreshed, we can be of great service to those who look up to us for guidance.
5. Heal inter-generational wounds. One of the most important lessons I learned in this work is that “if trauma is not transformed, it is transmitted” (Episode 5 of Lean On Me series). If we as caregivers carry unresolved trauma — much of which was passed down from previous generations — then it is likely that it will re-appear in the next generation. The cycle of trauma is broken when we focus on our healing. As we heal, we transform the pain and become a beacon of light that can lead others into their own healing.
Our children, and the children of the world will soon make decisions that will determine the quality of our world. These decisions will be made from a place of fear or a place of love, depending on how we show up for them. Do we neglect them in times of fear and need? Or do we surround them the love, care, and support they deserve? The future of our world — whether it be continued conflict, or a new and enduring peace — depends on the quality of care we provide them with, today.
May you be inspired to practice self-care in order to help break the cycle of trauma; love more fully, expressively, and consistently; and believe and encourage the limitless potential of each child. Doing so will ensure the children of the world will live freer, more joyful, and fulfilled lives.
This is how we create the No Limit Generation.
May peace be with you, always.
Samier
