Empower Program/Peace Clubs

I know you have been reading about this Empower Program/Peace Clubs and are probably wondering what the heck it is!? So I thought I would share a bit more with you. Basically, it’s a program that has three parts to it. The first part is the Empower Program. This program focuses on trauma healing and forgiveness. The first part, which we are just now implementing with the kids, highlights emotional strength. We are providing these children with skills to manage emotions, identify their emotions, build trust, coping skills, and then eventually share their stories. We will then move into the second part of the Empower Program which will teach skills on Forgiveness.

After the Empower Program is complete the children will begin focusing on Peace and Reconciliation Skills Training and Peace Building Skills. The last component is Leadership Skills Training. This is a brand new/ground breaking program that Exile International has created and I am so thrilled to be on the ground assisting in implementing it for the first time!

Through all of these different components a variety of interventions will be used, the majority being expressive arts. These children will build and maintain skills and healing through drama, art, music and dance. When a traumatic event occurs in a child’s life or anyone’s life, it is stored in the right side of the brain. This is the side of our brain that allows us to express ourselves emotionally. So it only makes sense that these children are able to tell more of their story and receive more healing when expressive art methods/interventions are used. Many times, children are unable to verbally describe a traumatic event…but once given a marker and piece of paper their story comes to life.

We just completed the first session of the Empower Program with three different groups of children this week! More blogs to come to walk you through how it all played out!

Founatin School Girls who are in the Peace Clubs!