Healing for Victims of Assault and Trafficking

Consoling through Counseling and Reintegration offers counseling services to survivors of abuse and sexual assualt with the aim of eventually supporting them to reintegrate into their communities after a period of healing, support and skills training undertaken at the shelter. CTC is still working with challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic but has remained dedicated to providing these crucial and life changing services. Because of the pandemic and government restrictions it was harder to reach survivors than normal, but even still in 2021 and into 2022, the shelter is providing housing, support and counseling to 23 survivors and 12 relatives. 

In addition to counseling services, both in groups and one on one, those staying in the shelter are trained in sewing and souvenir making. Skills training courses are facilitated to provide a creative outlet and healing to victims as they process their experiences and hopefully move towards reintegration. By taking courses during their stay at the shelter, survivors gain the skills to start a business or find employment and earn a wage once they are ready to reintegrate into their communities. 

Reintegration officers were also able to conduct 18 family assessments before accompanying survivors back home or to their chosen places. Reintegration assessments aim to ensure that survivors and their families will have the means to return home safely and without risk. After reintegration, families also recieve life start-up support that includes food, kitchen utensils, a sleeping net and mat, and blankets. During this period, reintegration officers also conducted follow-up visits to 26 reintegrated survivors to learn about their living situation, income generation activities, and social relationships with other community members, their children’s education, and physical and emotional health since returning home. We are happy to report that all 26 of these survivors was successfully reintegrated. 

Beginning in 2021, in addition to counseling and reintegration support, CTC has been able to add the routine provision of legal assistance to survivors in the safe shelter. This is a huge support for the women and girls residing in the shelter- as they recover and heal from their trauma, legal assistance works to hold their abusers accountable and ensure that they re-integrate into a safe environment. During this period, there were 53 clients who received legal counseling. Of these, 14 cases resulted in court filings, 7 cases moved forward with examinations, and 4 cases resulted in mediation outside of the court. 

None of this crucial support for survivors would be possible without your generous support, especially during this stressful and most difficult time. Thank you.