In May 2017, the Philippines saw the siege of Marawi City and the exodus of its affected populations. The humanitarian crisis prompted the response of Government agencies, non-government organisations (NGOs), and other sectors. Community and Family Services International (CFSI) is one of the many NGOs responding to the needs of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Through its Psychosocial Support in Emergencies Project (PSEP), CFSI provided Psychosocial Training for mothers.
The provision of Psychosocial Training was a challenging task due to the mothers’ reluctance to join the training as it seemed unnecessary in comparison to the receipt of relief goods. CFSI’s PSEP Team assured the mothers that the training would be of help to them, their family, and the community. The Psychosocial Training eventually served as an avenue for mothers living in the same evacuation centre, to share their experiences and provide support to one another. The conduct of the training also allowed the CFSI team to witness a mother’s journey — from stories of painful experiences and tears, as a result of profound emotional stress, to stories of hope and resiliency.
In the end, the mothers were grateful for the training sessions. They valued the lessons that arose from the discussions and hoped to use these so as to help protect and foster resiliency amongst their families and their community so that they too could learn to overcome trauma and profound stress.
Psychosocial Training for Mothers in Lum baca Ingud Evacuation Center, Bacolod Kalawi, Lanao del Sur