A training of trainers workshop has brought participants from different communities in Menchum Division centered on community participation, taking into account certain habits and customs which are common in the Division, patient care circuit trauma detection and referral systems.
The workshop which brought together 35 counsellors, traditional and religious leaders had the trainees receiving fresh knowledge on psychosocial support, trauma healing and reconciliation. This was in a two days training of trainers workshop in Wum organised by Women in Alternative Action(WAA CAMEROON) with support and funding from Open Society Initiative for West Africa(OSIWA).
Madam Juliet NAHLELA Tasama, who doubles as an applied developmental psychologist and healing expert was main facilitator for the event.
With her rich insight on mental health, she provided in-depth analysis on basic principles of mental health and psychosocial support activities, certain believes in the communities that seems obvious and natural and the trap of ethnocentrism, the patient care circuit as well as evaluating the needs for psychosocial support, therapeutic listening and support for victims of violence and torture.
During the two days training, HRH FON NJI THE FOURTH of Weh village in Menchum Division of the North West region, who is the field agent for WAA CAMEROON, expressed satisfaction as the objectives for the workshop were met. " I express my joy and appreciation to WAA CAMEROON for the wonderful opportunity that they have given to the sons and daughters of Menchum to have this training, first for the connectors for peace program and secondly for the psychosocial training, aimed at helping all of us affected by the socio-political crisis, to be able to help others. I wish to say that the training was quite interesting and all trainers were so excellent in their job and I want to believe that what participants have learned so far will be put into effective practice, such that they can as well serve as trainers to others and help those in difficult situations in terms of their mental health. It is an opportunity that I want all participants to make good use of it and not only they, but it's going to produce a multiplier effect in their communities." HRH Fon Nji expantiated while adding that many have learnt new ways of coping in life, new ways of handling situations and new perspective in looking at certain issues of life especially those in Menchum Division.
Happy moments of participants during an icebreaker.
The new breed of trainers were at the close of the training made abreast with the objectives of the project, understanding the purpose of the workshop, some psychological jargons and most especially the need for community participation in trauma healing and acknowledgement of some habits and customs in their different communities in Menchum Division as well as identifying the need for psychosocial support and to gain knowledge on different forms of psychosocial support and a better understanding on the how, when and why of therapeutic listening and dynamics of communication.
The partnership which exist between WAA Cameroon and OSIWA NGO's promises more fruitful workshops aimed at helping the population help themselves on how to cope during and after the current crisis period.
By Penn Elvis
