1. OPERATIONAL UPDATE
Witnessing conflict and destruction, leaving behind possessions as well as being displaced can bring about stress. This can negatively affect people and lead to poor coping mechanisms, like domestic violence, substance abuse or depression. HealthNet TPO, which has been providing health services through two mobile clinics and two static clinics in Gurboz, Matun, MandoZai and Tani, districts, began to receive complaints from refugees that they were experiencing stress and symptoms related to stress.
Between November 2014 and May 2015, while HNI-TPO, had funding, they provided pyscho-education and counselling services to 2,247. The education component aims to educate the community about mental health problems, decrease stigma through awareness raising, and help people understand how to alleviate these issues, while also providing resources and referrals. HNI-TPO conducted counselling both for groups and individuals.
Group sessions are practical as service providers can reach more people, but they are also first step in developing self-help initiatives at the community level. Through discussion and exchange of ideas, groups help people realize they are not alone in facing these problems and often find ways to address them together. HNI-TPO established 27 groups with 220 refugees, including women, based on similar interests and concerns.
One of the women who participated in the group session is Jamila, who is 30 years old and came to Khost in March 2015. Before the sessions she had been feeling a loss of hope from leaving her home.
During the group support sessions, participants and psychosocial workers discussed problems related to basic needs, and how to access services like education, water, and health. In the last session she explained that the group helped show her strength, problem solving, and she even introduced other women to the group sessions. Although this project ended, there is still a need for this support, especially in the communities, and many participants – particularly women – asked for a continuation of these interventions. ACTD is currently providing this support to refugees in Gulan Camp.