Luz breaks off our conversation and turns to smile at Diana, her vivacious 3 year old, as she comes over seeking help to fit 2 building blocks together. Luz shows her how to do it and hands it back to Diana to try. Diana is soon back, displaying the tower she has built. Luz admires her work and tells her how clever she is and Diana, satisfied with the praise, runs off again. When having a conversation with Luz it is obvious who the most important person is to her!
It wasn't always like this. Luz used to angrily vented on her baby daughter, shaking and beating her. When she first arrive to JUCONI's Day Centre she rarely made eye contact and looked sad and drained. Diana was 8 months and was crying. Luz didn't look at her. Diana's nappy rash was so bad we had to call the doctor. Luz had been sent to work on a market stall from the age of 7 and was frequently beaten. With JUCONI's help she realized how to be a better mother although her own childhood.
As Luz worked next to JUCONI's counselors, she improved her relationship with Diana and began to attend her emotional and physical needs, by interacting with her in filmed sessions that are analized later to highlight their strenghts: moments in which they are smiling at each other, making eye contact, sharing in an activity together, having fun. From that moment on Luz realized her role in Diana's life and the way her strenghts can build a safe and peaceful enviornment at home to nourish her.
The project will allow more mothers to benefit from the JUCONI's methodological approach through developing trauma relief, parental skills and secure attachment between mothers and their children in order to create safer enviornments in which they can prevent violence and promote peaceful practices. As Luz, learnt to become a great mother, a mother that achieves a secure attachment with their children will promote caring relationships that will avoid violence and danger in their lives.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
