In total, 75 community members were trained, including religious and community leaders, youth, women, experts from agriculture, youth and culture, women and children affairs, and the disaster prevention commission. Trainees were organized into three separate working groups that include the youth group (6 women, 19 men), the women group (25 women), and the community leadership (religious leaders and experts, 6 women, 19 men).
Once the trainees acclimatized to the environment and recognized the space created as a safe one, many heart-breaking and unimaginable stories emerged. Mutual support between the trainees was delicately facilitated by the trainers, offering support and encouragement. In summary, some of the most pertinent impacts of the conflict on this community (and others) that emerged were the flowing:
While it is impossible for a Project such as the GFF to solve these issues for the project beneficeries, offering them a safe space where they could openly share their traumas and worries is already a step in the right direction. Combined with the psycho-social support training they have received, the hope is that they will act as points of reference to their peers, lending an ear and, constructive advice and support where they can.
The next steps will unfold in three ways:
Psycho-social First-Aid: All trained individuals are equipped with tools and knowledge to provide psychological first-aid to peers in their respective workplaces, villages, and communities. They will provide psychological support when they face someone who needs it.
Support Groups: 12 youth and women volunteers will create and prepare events like coffee ceremonies and other gatherings for smaller groups to discuss how to cope with traumas and stressors, and focus on the positive and productive aspects of life after war. During these gatherings, the volunteers will identify individuals who need professional counseling and refer them to the clinical counselors assigned to provide the service. The group will also address the wider community through edutainment activities and flyers through big gatherings during open market days.
Professional Counselling: As part of the psycho-social support the project is making biweekly clinical counseling services available for people with post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions that require individual attention. There are two clinical counselors (a male and a female) assigned by Weldiya University who are following up on the referrals from the peer group and provide counseling services at the Weldiya Hospital. The hospital was selected as the venue for this, to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental or psychological care – there are many other reasons to visit a hospital, offering ample alternative explanations for the visit.
Testimonies from community representatives so far show that the training has helped in building their self-confidence and working in a team to heal from the war’s impacts. Moreover, the representatives of religious leaders from both Muslim and Christian communities said that the skills gained from the training help them to identify the war’s impacts on the individual, family, and community levels and how to handle the challenges, especially psychological issues.
It is still early days, but we are already happy to see the spark returning to people’s eyes and are filled with hope that this, and the other interventions in the GFF Recovery Program will help people regain hope and positive outlook towards a resilient, regenerative, and Green Future in Farming.