On 28 January, RCTV Memoria welcomed beneficiaries for a workshop session on anxiety management, targeting women and girls survivors of torture, domestic and sexual violence. Anxiety too often comes as a consequence of trauma but we are here to support our beneficiaries in identifying and developing coping strategies and problem-solving skills, promoting self-confidence and resilience so that they can control anxiety instead of letting it control their lives.
The workshop provided participants with relevant information about what anxiety means, how it is different from fear and what strategies can be used to mitigate it, in combination with practical exercises that served as an opportunity to promote relaxation and to foster socialization among participants.
If anxiety is the problem, then relaxation is the key. But who ever relaxes just because they are told to do so? Pens and paper can help! Our participants were truly inspired and produced some beautiful Mandala pieces, expressing themselves through lively bright colours. Mandala colouring promotes a sense of inner balance and peace. And because sometimes “love is all you need”, participants had the opportunity to take a moment to get in touch with their feelings and share them: we asked them to choose a gesture or action with which to interact with Mişa, our a soft toy assistant, and afterwards to reproduce it with their neighbor on the left – a hug, a kiss, a smile was enough to lift everyone’s spirits.
What do participants have to say? According to the feedback we have received, the main highlight of this workshop was the usefulness of the information provided. One participant remarked: “I am very impressed by all that you do, it gives me hope and strength.”
Earlier, the group had been asked to share a happy moment of their week: one participant answered that, for her, that moment had been visiting RCTV Memoria. Our beneficiaries inspire us every day; activities, such as this workshop, serve as important empowering tools for beneficiaries to rebuild their lives after trauma.
This workshop is part of the plan of activities within the project implemented by RCTV Memoria with the financial support of La Luz Grants 2015.
Author: Margarida Hourmat,
Copyright © 2014 MEMORIA
Design by
www.polygon-delta.com
This web site is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of RCTV Memoria and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.