Trauma Support Program in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan
We’ve had an intensive but impressive week; one which we would like to share with you.
As part of a two-year project we started earlier this year with the DROSOS FOUNDATION, we’ve been providing online training for professional caregivers who are currently active in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan.
Last week, more than 90 people attended our training.
The participants in the training consisted of teachers, psychologists, therapists, speech therapists, musicians and other (mental) professionals. Anne van den Ouwelant from Trauma International trained the group in providing trauma-sensitive support. With her method ‘when the alarm bell rings 🔔’, Anne explained in a clear and accessible way how trauma works and how it can affect different parts of the brain and the functioning of a person. In the subsequent ‘toolbox’ training, Nour, Sander and Lucas trained the participants in various techniques that can help them to calm down the ‘alarm bell’ – both for themselves and for the people they work with. These techniques include exercises from music, art, movement, breathing, dialogue and various work forms.
The participants in the training consisted of teachers, psychologists, therapists, speech therapists, musicians and other mental health professionals. Anne van den Ouwelant from Trauma International trained the group in providing trauma-sensitive support. With her method ‘when the alarm bell rings ’, Anne clearly explained how trauma works, how it can affect different parts of the brain, as well as the general functioning of a person. In the subsequent ‘toolbox’ training, Nour, Sander and Lucas trained the participants in various techniques that can help them to calm down the ‘alarm bell’ – both for themselves and for the people they work with. These techniques include exercises from music, art, movement, breathing and dialogue.
NOS (Radio 1) came by to make an item for the radio program Nieuws en Co, which you can listen to here. (in Dutch).
Sander van Goor:
“Time and again we are deeply moved by how special and valuable it is to be able to give these training sessions to people who, even under extreme and difficult circumstances, wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to others. We learn a great deal from their perseverance, love and warmth. The way in which they unconditionally dedicate themselves to their fellow human beings is impressive and inspiring. The fact that we are allowed to contribute to this makes us quiet and humble. We not only share knowledge and skills, but also stories, emotions and experiences. We learn from each other and they continue their indispensable work with more knowledge and tools. That gives confidence, that gives hope.”
“I truly believe that these kinds of activities can help the Palestinian
community find a safe and comforting space,
and can reduce the burden of the traumas they experience.”
(participant in the West Bank)
"Thank you for your support, and for nurturing our sense of humanity. Your kindness is a light in dark times — it gives us the strength and hope to carry on. In Gaza, it has become almost ordinary for a doctor to bury his son in the morning, and return to his patients in the afternoon — because even amidst heartbreak, we choose to heal. Your solidarity reminds us that we are not alone."
Sounds of Change trainer Nour Hanna on these words:
”When I hear this in Arabic (my mother tongue), I realise how deep my admiration is and how profoundly it moves me. It fills me with gratitude that we, as a team, can stand alongside and play even a small part in something so meaningful!”
Anne van den Ouwelant - (Trauma International):
“I started today's online training with tears in my eyes. And with an apology: for the fact that the world is watching while a genocide is taking place in Palestine. I told the participants, almost all from Palestine, that this online training actually made no sense: the violence has to stop, that is what is needed…
And then I - together with Nour and Sander - started working with the participants (the teachers, psychologists, therapists, musicians and other professionals) in the hope of supporting them by connecting with them.
At the end, Mohamed took the floor. He said he was a doctor in one of the hospitals in Gaza. His words touched us to the core. In the midst of the mess, he felt supported by us. By seeing our emotions, by the practical information and tools we gave him. And he thanked us. But I turned it around: I thanked him. For his courage and his endless commitment to the remaining children, youth and adults in Gaza.”
In the coming months we will be giving more on-site training in the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan. During these sessions we will train employees of various local organisations to be able to train others in their own locations.
We will keep you informed of this trajectory.