Rezan, Renas, and Mohammed are trained Community Caregivers providing psychosocial support to victims of torture, displacement and violent trauma, including gender-based violence.
The Victim Support and Reconciliation program (VSR) works in areas affected by extremist violence to assist victims, while promoting tolerance and countering sectarianism. Capacity-building activities for health professionals providing mental health services include the launch of standard treatment protocols for conflict-affected patients which have been adopted by 93% of hospitals and health centers targeted by VSR. Beyond institutional strengthening, over 1,537 individuals suffering from trauma-related illnesses have received individual psychosocial support from project-trained Community Caregivers, who have encouraged them to seek additional services through a strengthened referral network. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL).
Rezan, Renas, and Mohammed, all social researchers from Dibis, were nominated by the Kirkuk Center for Victims of Torture to participate in a VSR-led training workshop for Community Caregivers. They were chosen to work as a team based on their geographical area, and the three started their field visits to victims of conflict in order to provide them help and support to overcome their struggles with psychological issues.
What made this group special was their enthusiasm in providing not only psychological support but also economic support. One of their first cases was a woman named Miaad Shauket Sharif, referred to them by one of their coworkers who gave them her address. Miaad is a 37 year-old widow and mother of five children who suffered from trauma, depression and grief because of her husband’s death. In addition to her affected psychological state, Miaad is from a very poor family in Dibis. Her tenuous economic situation made Miaad constantly anxious and worried about her children, but nobody was able to provide her with help and support.
Rezan, Renas, and Mohammed visited Miaad and began conducting healing sessions with her. They provided psychological support through individual and group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and other treatments to help lift her from depression and anxiety toward a greater optimism about life.
Soon after the sessions began, Miaad’s psychological state began changing for the better. However, she still didn’t have the financial resources to take care of her children. This situation increased the chance that Miaad would slip back into depression.
Previously, Miaad had worked as a nurse, but when she got married her husband told her that she should leave her job. Because Rezan works at the Dibis Health Center, she and the rest of the group talked to the director of the center and explained Miaad’s situation. Eventually, the Director agreed to meet Miaad in order to check her qualifications to work as a nurse in the center. She was hired soon after.
[bctt tweet=”‘I never believed I would be able to smile again’ – Psychosocial support for Iraqi trauma victims.”]
Now Miaad’s psychological state is stable, and she is more optimistic than she has been in years. “I never believed that I would be able to smile again. I was so depressed and lonely, and I was afraid there would be no one to help me. Whenever I looked at my children I felt ashamed that I couldn’t provide them anything because I also needed someone to help me. But now I am thankful to this group who made me stand against my struggles and be a strong single mother.”
Rezan, Renas, and Mohammed were all proud and happy that they were able to change someone’s life. Rezan expressed,“The most important thing I learned from the VSR training is that not everyone out there can stand against any struggle they face. There are many people who can’t find help and that is where our role as caregivers comes in.”
Renas and Mohammed agreed. “VSR helped us to know more about our role in the community as social workers, and it equipped us with the necessary knowledge and skills to provide psychological support for our community.”
What makes this story special is that through their support, this group was able to build Miaad a foundation for long-term psychological and financial stability, helping her stand on her feet again as a single mother.
