Support Groups

Photo Credit AGIR RDC

It is common to feel – and to be – isolated in the wake of a disaster or loss. Community organization provides a path to a hopeful future. Our partners train community educators to lead support groups that meet regularly. These are cross cultural gatherings where people can share their experiences and thoughts. It is a place where they can speak freely, be heard, and heal.

Support groups create community when community is interrupted. Isolation reinforces vulnerability.

People gather in support groups to learn about public health, peace and conflict, and develop skills that will help them participate in the local economy to meet their basic needs. When a group established trust, they often form savings and loan partnerships and practice rotating credit to support their small businesses.

Topical groups form organically depending on peoples’ needs and passions. There are peace clubs that introduce and practice conflict transformation skills. Environmental clubs that teach about growing vegetables, trees, and medicinal plants. One group that learned about the important role hygiene plays in controlling the spread of disease organized a cleanup project that became an ongoing public effort.

Trust, once established in a group, makes it possible to discuss complex issues. For example, a discussion about family planning is not just about the biology of reproduction. It also requires discussions between men and women about consent, respect, and human rights.