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08.09.2011 General News

ActionAid organises workshop for Ivorian refugees in Brong Ahafo Region

By GNA
ActionAid organises workshop for Ivorian refugees in Brong Ahafo Region
08.09.2011 LISTEN

Berekum (B/A) Sept. 8, GNA – Madam Christina Amarchey, Brong Ahafo Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid, an international non-governmental organisation on Wednesday expressed the need for victims of forced migration to be given psychosocial counselling.

This, he said, would enable them to adapt to their new environment.

Madam Amarchey was speaking at a three-day training workshop on “Psycho-social Counseling”, for 40 Ivorian refugees based at Fetentaa near Berekum.

The Regional Programme Manager noted that wars, conflicts and other traumatic events have an impact on the mental health of forced migrants and such people need certain basic necessities in order to lead normal lives.

“People who undergo traumatic experiences of war and conflicts usually develop special needs for understanding, emotional resolution, security, a sense of belonging and self-worth,” Madam Amarchey stated.

She said the impact of conflicts or disasters on individuals depended upon their natural resiliency, exposure to disturbing events and the type of support they received following the experience.

Madam Amarchey said ActionAid has the vision for “a world without poverty and injustice, in which every person enjoys the right to a life of dignity”.

She said the objective of the workshop was to provide the necessary knowledge and skills to the participants so that they could support their colleagues in the camp by sharing what they had learnt.

ActionAid Ghana, with the support of ActionAid international has donated food and other items worth GH¢ 18,400 to the Berekum Refugee Camp.

Topics discussed at the workshop included “psycho-social interventions in psychiatry,” “stress management,” “stigmatisation and discrimination,” “child abuse and child protection,” “child psychiatry/basic issues and first aid,” as well as “alcoholism,” “drug abuse,” “harm reduction and behavioural modification.”

Mr Tae Sylvain, a representative of the participants thanked ActionAid for the concern shown to the refugees.

GNA

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