About the Consultant

It was extremely helpful to have the outside consultant. As a trainer for "EveryChild" Ukraine (link to the UK site in English), she and her organization are the best in their field. They were trained by the Institute for Human Service (IHS) in Columbus, Ohio, with whom I was connected in my life before Peace Corps. IHS' founders literally wrote the books on childhood development practice in child welfare.

Olena, our trainer, is also a practicing professional and so, she could challenge our thinking about how we interpret the law, work with local officials (particularly the police), and advocate for the rights of the girls.

One of the most important things she was able to help empower this group to feel they were more prepared to challenge assumptions and advocate more for the young women, rather than feel powerless in the face of sometimes corrupt and/or convoluted local systems.

This was quite evident at the roundtable that evening, when practically every member of the training stayed to share their thoughts and ideas with the local officials.