A young Eritrean woman who had fled to the refugee camps in Ethiopia said she felt that her life was worthless. Eritrea, which borders Ethiopia, is one of the most repressive regimes in the world, often described as “the North Korea of Africa” by the media. Like thousands of others, she had fled her homeland because of human rights abuses, including indefinite military conscription. But her life in the camp was still a terrible struggle. She attempted to end her life, but she survived.

“Three people from CVT came and visited me in the hospital,” she said. “After I was discharged, they came to visit me again. They came every day at 3 pm. They explained about the service available at CVT. They said ‘Come to the healing center.’”

For many clients who came to CVT’s Ethiopia clinics, this is similar to how their own story began. CVT’s counselors and staff were in the community, reaching out to refugees, sharing information about care. They noticed when someone was silent, or isolated, or hurting. They offered healing.

CVT’s counselors and staff were in the community, reaching out to refugees, sharing information about care. They noticed when someone was silent, or isolated, or hurting.”

After more than a decade, and without any notice, the U.S. government pulled its funding for the programs this past January, forcing the staff to inform clients that their counseling was over. Through several distressing weeks, the staff said farewell to survivors and closed up all nine sites across the country. The life-saving work came to an abrupt halt.

The team’s reputation for excellence was long-standing. CVT opened its first clinic in Tigray, Ethiopia in 2012, serving Eritrean refugees living in two camps near Mai Tsebri. The team was respected among civil society, community leaders and clients, becoming well known for their expertise but also for their compassion. The work expanded as word spread about the group counseling sessions that helped people begin to rebuild their lives.

In 2019, CVT began working in the Nguenyyiel refugee camp in Gambella, in the western part of Ethiopia. The camp is located close to the border with South Sudan, and there were over 80,000 refugees living there at that time after fleeing civil war in that country. The need for healing was great.

“It is hard to overstate the healing and humanitarian impact the CVT Ethiopia team had on survivors who had faced the very worst cruelty imaginable,” said Dr. Simon Adams, president & CEO. “Our colleagues found ways to deliver care to people under circumstances that involved challenging logistics, hardship and security risks over the course of many years.”

Annually, the teams were serving 6-7,000 clients plus family members, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. The CVT teams identified new ways to safely bring information to people in the camps, where access to technology was limited. They pivoted quickly to remote forms of support and used distance to stay safe while still providing services.

The efforts of the CVT Ethiopia team were unquestionably heroic.”

-Dr. Simon Adams, president & CEO

However, violent conflict erupted that same year in Tigray, which caused much of CVT’s work in the north to slow as people were forced to flee the region. Over the duration of armed conflict, the team again made a shift and began extending care to internally displaced Ethiopians in Tigray who had fled from the various warring armies and armed groups. With movement of the refugee communities as well as Ethiopians, CVT opened a new center in Amhara, expanding care even more widely.

“The efforts of the CVT Ethiopia team were unquestionably heroic,” said Simon Adams. “Despite enormous risk, they made sure that people found help even during a devastating civil war.”

The work in Gambella was also increasing during these years, and this team brought enormous care, innovation and resilience in facing numerous challenges. The CVT Gambella team integrated physiotherapy with counseling services, and brought a commitment to community outreach, trainings and psychoeducation that helped reduce stigma about mental health and bring people to healing.

“CVT Ethiopia remained operational during the conflict in Tigray through some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, and often at great personal risk to our colleagues there. What made CVT Ethiopia cohesive, adaptive, effective and resilient in war time stemmed from the culture of learning, support, trust, integrity and excellence it cultivated together pre-conflict,” said Neal Porter, director of international services. “All CVT staff involved in our operations in Ethiopia demonstrated courage and leadership, and because of that, thousands of survivors continued to receive vital services.”

When the U.S. government foreign aid cuts hit, CVT Ethiopia was serving more than half of all clients and family members seen by CVT across all our global programs. In 2024 alone, Ethiopia saw an all-time high of 13,884 clients and families.

“The legacy of CVT Ethiopia is one of exceptional skill, competence and true courage,” Neal said. “So many people’s lives were changed and futures were brightened after surviving absolute darkness. The name of CVT will be long remembered for helping people begin their lives once again.”

The legacy of CVT Ethiopia is one of exceptional skill, competence and true courage.”

-Neal Porter, director of international services

“I am proud of the Ethiopia team and the impacts they made on so many who survived unthinkable brutality,” said Simon. “The leadership of Maki Katoh, our country director, was tireless and inspiring as she supported the team over many years through truly extraordinary challenges and accomplishments.”

While much smaller in scale, CVT was happy to announce in June that new non-U.S. funding had been secured for a program in Tigray. Group counseling sessions are beginning now and survivors are finding new hope and healing at the center, funded by ECHO through a sub–award from the Danish Refugee Council.

The work of CVT Ethiopia will continue, and it is as important as ever. A decade ago, a young man told us he had fled, twice, from torture and imprisonment by the Eritrean military and came to the CVT clinic in a refugee camp in Tigray. He said, “Before CVT, I had no hope at all. I was planning to end my life. CVT has given me life. CVT shows me that I have dignity, that I can still live.”