This week Jiyan Foundation celebrated World Mental Health Day. This year we are doing our part to make mental health a global priority by providing sustainable psychotherapy treatment, raising awareness to fight stigma, and training the next generation of mental health professionals in Iraq and Syria. Since 2005, Jiyan Foundation's programs have touched over 100,000 people. We know all too well that psychological trauma can affect individuals for their entire lives. Jiyan's goal is for every patient to lead a life that is fulfilling and free from the constraints of sustained mental trauma.
We do this by encouraging our patients to set goals and look toward the future through a wide range of psychological treatment programs and approaches. At our Psychosomatic Clinic for Women in Chamchamal, women who survived abduction at the hands of ISIS learn skills they need to overcome their physicalized symptoms.
Through Art Therapy our therapists use artistic expressions to talk to their patients about particularly serious issues such as sexualized violence or the traumatic loss of relatives. By drawing on their own feelings, patients can overcome their speechlessness and take an active role in their recovery.
Jiyan Foundation's mobile teams seek out survivors in the hardest-to-reach places making sure that we can provide mental health support to all people no matter where they are. But we can't do it alone.
Now is your time to make mental health a priority.
Your monthly support will help Jiyan Foundation provide mental health treatment through individual, group, art, and horticultural therapy. Just $10 a month can help us guarantee sustained mental health treatment for survivors of trauma, violence, and terror in Kurdistan-Iraq, Iraq, and Syria.
Don't let today go by without making mental health a priority. Whether right next door, or a world apart we are all closer than we think. This World Mental Health Day, do something for yourself by providing support for someone else.
Monthly gifts allow us to better plan our services and save money in the process. Please consider giving just $10 a month to provide sustainable mental health support to survivors of trauma and violence in Iraq and Syria.
All best,
Joshua Governale
Public Relations & Development
Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights
Mosul Donor Report
June 2022
Many of Jiyan Foundation’s patients who receive treatment at our Mosul center require transportation to get there, so to be closer to the majority of our beneficiaries the Mosul treatment center began the process of moving locations this past March.
This process of moving required the branch to halt services for one month as we packed and moved all the center’s equipment. All of our staff in Mosul participated in documenting our work and materials to move them.
Mental Health services reopened on-time April 1st pleasing our beneficiaries and patients by being so much closer. Ultimately, we expect this to save us on transportation costs for patients and provide greater access to communities in need.
At first some patients had difficulty finding the new location, but now after a few months of being established, the Mosul treatment center’s new location is well-known among the populations in need.
Our center manager expects an increase in patients who previously would not have come for treatment. In addition, Jiyan’s regional work in destigmatizing mental health treatment seems to be working. In the past few years, Jiyan Foundation has seen an increase in our beneficiaries to 10,000 people a year across all treatment centers. We will provide more details on patient cases from our new location in our next report. If you would like monthly updates, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
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Please consider making a donation for psychotherapeutic treatment in Mosul
The Mosul treatment center is in need of your support to meet the foreseen demand for psychotherapy at our new location. Please consider making a donation here or visiting our website.
Links:
Mosul Donor Report
December 2021
"Today, I am happy to remember this positive event." – Evin 33, Mosul
Evin*, 33 came to Jiyan Foundation’s Mosul treatment center looking for treatment for her son who suffers from hyperactivity. After seeing the impact of treatment on her son, Evin decided to engage in psychotherapy herself to address flashbacks and her inability to sleep at night.
One afternoon Evin asked her husband to go out and buy some water for their family. Not long after he’d left, Evin and her three children heard planes flying overhead and explosions in the city. They took shelter in their home through the night. Evin’s husband never returned.
Blaming herself for his death, Evin’s guilt kept her from sleeping and her thoughts were always occupied with that day. She avoided the street her husband was found and had trouble with daily tasks. After beginning treatment at Jiyan Foundation Evin was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Depression.
To support Evin in taking her life back, therapists at Jiyan Foundation’s treatment center in MosuI first prepared an explanation of psychotherapy and educated Evin on her conditions, PTSD and Depression. During a process of nine sessions, Evin engaged in numerous stabilization techniques including breathing exercises and visualization techniques. At one session Evin was encouraged to bring photos and list positive events from her past.
“I was eighteen in this picture.” She said holding a photograph, “It was the day I knew I was pregnant for the first time.”
Today Evin relies on Jiyan Foundation’s treatment center in Mosul for monthly psychotherapy sessions. Support long-term, sustainable treatment for Evin by giving a monthly donation today. $13 provides one- hour of psychotherapy to a survivor of trauma and violence in Mosul.
Three months at-a-glance
Capacity building
One of the best uses of our resources is investing in our staff. Each month the treatment center in Mosul hosts 12 – 20 training courses for our staff. This June our staff took part in Psychotraumatology, social work, collective and individual supervision trainings. The majority of our staff participated in these capacity building trainings.
Human rights education & dialogue
Our treatment center in Mosul hosts local human rights education courses and interfaith dialogue and coexistence events. Each month our Mosul center hold four human rights courses for children in local schools and orphanages. The courses are directed for children from 8 – 16 years old and seek to provide a general understanding of their individual rights, recognize possible abuses, and direct them to seek safe avenues of addressing any violations.
Fortunately, there is more than one way to help.
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Share this project with friends and family, and let them know why the treatment center for survivors of violence and trauma in Mosul is worth supporting. With so many good causes out there, word of mouth is perhaps the most valuable tool at our disposal.
*Names of beneficiaries are changed to respect privacy and ensure safety.
Links:
Mosul Donor Report
June 2021
Mîran* from Mosul
Mîran* was born in 1980 and she has four children. Never continuing past her elementary level education Mîran was forced to marry at the age of 15 and resign herself to being a housewife. During her marriage, her newborn died shortly after birth and her marriage ended in divorce. Two years later Mîran remarried. She had three daughters and one son who suffers from a cleft upper-lip and a hole in the roof of his mouth which requires surgery. The stigma of her son’s condition means her daughters are refused marriage and thus remain her economic responsibility.
During ISIS occupation her house was bombed, turned partially to rubble. Mîran witnessed the death of many family members, their corpses laying in her home. It’s the same home she currently lives in, and so she is often reminded of this horror. Today due in part to her low formal education, diagnosed depression, and difficult circumstances Mîran cannot provide for her family. Her husband largely ignores familial responsibilities, and their relationship suffers. Mîran’s fear for her childrens’ future and inability to secure necessities had driven Mara to attempted suicide.
Since April 2021 Mîran has received seven treatment sessions, psychological education on depression, and writing exercises to understand, analyze, and sometimes challenge her ideas and emotions. Her mood has slowly improved but Mîran requires continued treatment sessions to build self-confidence and begin addressing external factors contributing to her condition.
Mîran* represents many residents of Mosul who come to receive psychological treatment. Most of the women in these situations suffer from domestic violence. Due to various circumstances including war, economic instability, and a lack of education it is common in these situations for the male head of house to neglect and not recognize any responsibility caring for their family. This places unreasonable expectations on the female heads of household and often leads to stress, depression, and feelings of hopelessness.
Three months at-a-glance
Human rights education & dialogue
Our treatment center in Mosul hosts local human rights education courses and interfaith dialogue and coexistence events. Each month our Mosul center hold four human rights courses for children in local schools and orphanages. The courses are directed for children from 8 – 16 years old and seek to provide a general understanding of their individual rights, recognize possible abuses, and direct them to seek safe avenues of addressing any violations.
This month our treatment center in Mosul realized its goal by hosting 117 local participants in its interfaith dialogue and coexistence events. Part and parcel with human rights education and mental health treatment, dialogue and interfaith communication is essential for the long-term stability of Mosul’s diverse population.
Capacity building
One of the best uses of our resources is investing in our staff. Each month the treatment center in Mosul hosts 12 – 20 training courses for our staff. This June our staff took part in Psychotraumatology, social work, collective and individual supervision trainings. The majority of our staff participated in these capacity building trainings.
The branch library still needs books
The library in Mosul is a multi-purpose room but lacks sufficient reading material. With only 60 books, it is hardly a library. Staff has requested on Mental Health, treatment methods and medical reference. We also require children’s books and young adult novels for patients. For direct donations of books and reading material please email info@jiyan-foundation.org
Fortunately, there is more than one way to help.
Share this project with friends and family, and let them know why the treatment center for survivors of violence and trauma in Mosul is worth supporting. With so many good causes out there, word of mouth is perhaps the most valuable tool at our disposal.
*Names of beneficiaries are changed to respect privacy and ensure safety.
Links:
Donor Report Mosul
02/26/2021
Welcoming new multicultural staff in Mosul
To better serve our patients from the Yazidi faith, our treatment center in Mosul has hired two new psychotherapists and a receptionist from the Yazidi religion. These additional staff have had an enormous impact on the branch making it one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse institutions in the city.
The diversity in the center had prompted patients and staff alike to continuously engage with one another on their cultures and languages. Our center manager has said it is a very happy situation for everyone.
Monthly cases
Since October, our treatment center in Mosul has serviced 150 - 210 beneficiaries each month.
Women 82%, Children 10%, Men 8%
Help us get tools and toys for childrens' therapy room
The children who have been receiving long-term treatment have requested new toys, games and books. No Toys, books, or games have been added to the children’s treatment room since 2018. These items are especially important tools that therapists utilize for children’s psychotherapy. Often, children are unable or unwilling to speak about their experiences, and these simple objects of play allow them to express themselves more comfortably and securely.
The branch library needs books
The library in Mosul is a multi-purpose room but lacks sufficient reading material. With only 60 books, it is hardly a library. Staff has requested on Mental Health, treatment methods and medical reference. We also require children’s books and young adult novels for patients.
For direct donations of books and reading material please email info@jiyan-foundation.org
Preparing for a second wave of COVID-19
With no vaccine available to the public in Iraq the potential for a second strict curfew in Mosul seems likely. Thankfully, our staff and patients are all accustomed to this change to digital treatment and tele-health when possible.
Fortunately, there is more than one way to help.
Share this project with friends and family, and let them know why the treatment center for survivor of ciolence and trauma in Mosul is worth supporting. With so many good causes out there, word of mouth is perhaps the most valuable tool at our disposal.
Links:
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