104 Participants Graduate at a Colourful Ceremony After Attending Two-Months Training on Trauma Healing and Stress Management
A total of 104 participants graduated with certificates after attending two months of training in trauma healing and stress management at Gangara-Emmilia North in Yambio Western Equatoria state on 13th May 2023.
104 Participants Graduate at a Colourful Ceremony After Attending Two-Months Training on Trauma Healing and Stress Management
By Archangelo Rangabia
A total of 104 participants graduated with certificates after attending two months of training in trauma healing and stress management at Gangara-Emmilia North in Yambio Western Equatoria state on 13th May 2023.
The graduation ceremony started with marching from the villa football field escorted by Pax Brass Band which is a Catholic Diocesan Band with hundreds of followers to Gangara-Emmilia under the theme: “Equip and Edify Saint” as ministry equips the broken hearts with a message of hope and edify them to remain faithful to God the creator.
The two-month training was organized by Favor Africa Ministry International, a church-based organization that aims at providing psycho-social help for people that are affected by torture, massacre, and rape among others, and may lead to psychosis.
This graduation comes as the 6th graduation ceremony from Favor Africa Ministry International in Yambio County with the aim of continuing the training to communities beyond Yambio County. The training involved different denominations of which Muslims and Christians were the participants.
Testifying at the occasion one of the participants Amina Jadalla said, “The root causes of trauma are members of the community, armed forces, and family members, among others, and we should be responsible for healing the trauma as well. Healing the trauma caused by us does not necessarily require external material but our effort and emotions towards the affected person. We are now the community counselors, available at any time and ready to support our community”, Amina explained.
Anibiko Paride a participant in the training encouraged young people to be equipped with words of forgiveness and focus on their future in order to harvest a better future. He promises to sensitize more youth to form associations of peace and positive creativity as a way of fighting trauma among the youth.
Mr. Singba James, Headman and participant of the training thanked Favor Africa Ministry International for approaching the community of Gangara-Emmilia with such training stressing that it has created unity among people whose relationship might have been broken for one reason or another. He called on the participants to extend their knowledge and be able to manage stress and heal trauma at their different localities. Mr. James appealed to the organizers to once again organize the training in the same area but at a different location to help bring the community together.
Hipai Stella who spoke on behalf of the female attendants called on the government and other partners dealing with psycho-social to involve the graduates voluntarily to enable them to practice the acquired knowledge and skills adding that more people in the community around Yambio and beyond are traumatized due to the continues crises in the state and therefore need the availability of more counselors to build hope and minimize crimes.
On the other hand, Pitia Patrick male participants called on the public to speak out about trauma adding that keeping quiet about trauma kills more. He called on the government and partners to exercise both law and counseling when dealing with crimes especially massive crimes as basing on law may not solve crimes that may be caused as a result of trauma and stress.
Mr. Aljibna Ali, Coordinator for Favor Africa Ministry International thanked the community for welcoming the initiative and participation, the government entities for their continued support including other churches for standing united for the success of the training, promising that he will recommend the Ministry to continue with this support of healing the mind as to prepare a nation free of stress and trauma, “we are training government entities, church leaders regardless of their denominations, race and localities and nationality in respect of humanity’’ he called on the participant to be exemplary counselors and form counsellors’ associations to be available to the community rather than getting lost with the knowledge and skills.
The joyful event took lieu at Gangara-Emmilia North in the western part of Yambio WES on Saturday 13th May 2023 about 150m from the main road with 104 grandaunts of which the majority were females dressed in white shirts with black trousers or skirts. The selection of the participants was not based on their educational background but open to educated and uneducated. The graduation ended with awarding of certificates to the participants by the Ministry Administration, trainers, and the guest of Hon. Mr. Simon Sarawasi.
