Douala: Over 25 women leaders from NW, SW drilled on trauma healing.

Participants, trainers immortalise closing ceremony

Some 25 women, who are leaders of nonprofit organisations or associations from the North West and South West regions have received training on trauma healing.

This was during a four-day capacity building workshop for the selected category of NGOs.

The workshop held in Douala was organised by the national representatives of American NGO, Search for Common Ground, SFCG. 



It was focused on healing trauma. The seminar was chaired by the Littoral Regional Delegate of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Gisèle Ekoh.

In her opening speech, the delegate told participants that, despite their various experiences, they should always be mindful of their safety. 

She added that the Douala training organised by Search for Common Ground was a stitch in time.

Women-led organisations are said to have had several traumatic experiences that have negatively affected their wellbeing in line of their duty.

With a worldwide mission to transform the way the world deals with conflict, away from confrontational approaches and toward cooperative solutions, Tatiana Lobè, country representative for Search for Common Ground, insisted that, the situation in the North West and South West regions is a cause for concern.

She said the Douala workshop was designed for women victims of trauma and violence from the two regions of the country with the aim of equipping them with first aid lessons and victim care.

Tatiana Lobe noted that "trauma" is a set of mental disorder that can be attributed to a harmful physical or psychological action. 

Among the causes of trauma, she said, are acts of violence directed against a person or oneself. In Cameroon and particularly in the crisis hit regions, the said cases are commonplace, she stated. 

“This is why we intend to equip the women of who live in permanently crisis zones in order to give them the basics of gender-based management but above all giving them practical tools for first aid to women in distress linked to community conflicts,” Tatiana Lobe said.

She continued that: “our expectations outcome is that women assimilate the concepts of gender-based violence with the aim of providing help to female victims who will come closer to them but above all that they are each able to return to their respective areas and provide this training. The goal is to reduce this gender-based violence and relieve the victims”.