GMHI Resumes Community Support Groups
Before arriving to the U.S., “It seems like heaven on earth,” says Pauline Mukeshimana,the Gate of Hope Ministries, International (GHMI) Programs Director. “The first three months or so, it still is heaven. Then, you start to live your own life here. The idea in your head is different than reality.” For over 5 years, Gate of Hope Ministries, International (GOHMI) has conducted community support groups for women, mostly from Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to discuss how they are coping and adjusting in a new home. The support groups create a safe space for personal bonding that enables them to talk about their issues, challenges and experiences. People share their experiences,” Pauline says. “Struggles, problems, issues.” Issues, she says, are often due to war and the consequences of war, such as gender-based violence.
The support groups are conducted in the refugees native languages primarily in kinyarwanda, kirundi, swahili and kinyamulenge. They were created from a community adjustment curriculum allowing speakers and professionals to visit the groups and present on topics such as depression, forgiveness, and anger. “The women don’t just discuss their lives before,” Pauline adds, “They talk about how to deal with life here. Through their participation in the women’s support groups, women who cried often, women who lost entire villages and families, and who were too afraid to leave their house begun to make strides and thrive from the support and hands-on experience. They learned when and how to ask for help.
Following COVID-19, the support groups took a hiatus. This year 2023, the support groups are back. GOHMI will host 2 women support groups, for domestic violence survivors and elderly women. The purpose of the program is to increase physical and mental health as well as promote total wellness of the women.The groups offer an opportunity for participants to acquire information on specific topics, acquire new skills and or improve existing ones, change attitudes for the better and provide an environment of mutual self-help and support for participants to address their experiences and on-going challenges. Empowerment and building positive self-esteem are the ethos of the groups.
The domestic survivors group aims to create a safe space for survivors of domestic abuse to gather, find healing and peer support all while learning how to develop wellness skills necessary to thrive in their communities. Participants meet monthly over 7 months. Each session begins with sharing a meal, followed by discussing the topic of the month and culminates in a hands-on experience that relates to the topic at hand. Topics covered include Legal Rights & Domestic Violence: knowing and understanding legal system & basic rights; Understanding the reporting process & its Implications; Self-Love: understanding & developing self-esteem; dealing with the negative emotions of anger, fear, guilt, self-hatred & grief; Communicating our emotional and mental health needs; Managing the home the healthy way: the power of cleanliness; healthy food choice & cooking; healthy household products use; Understanding my external physical body : body care and beauty; benefits of physical fitness & body movement; Boundaries: why they matter; how to set them; challenges of asserting boundaries; Loving our children: How to build healthy relationships with our children; how to cope with our children’s challenges; understanding the power of intentional gift giving; Trauma and stress management.
The elderly women support group aims to address mental health and chronic diseases. Participants meet over 10 sessions. Each session begins with meal sharing followed by the lesson of the day. Participants engage in conversations on mental health and how to live a healthy life and how to manage chronic illness. Topics include the mind-body connection; Understanding physical health; Understanding mental health; Healthy food choice and balanced diet combination; Physical activity, weight and fatigue management; Dealing with trauma and stress; Dealing with negative emotions; and Working with healthcare professionals and healthcare system.
The groups are open to any members of the East African refugee community who identify as a domestic violence survivor or an elderly woman.
