Brigitte Challande, January 26, 2025. The Abou Amir team adapts, prepares the return and works in this direction, text of 25/01.
“The importance of psychological support workshops for women in wartime
With the signing of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the displaced families are preparing to return to their original regions, abandoned during the war. Although this stage brings the hope of a new start, the way back is responsible for challenges and fears, in particular for women, who assume additional responsibilities in these very hard situations.
The return: a mixture of hope and challenges
Returning into the original regions after a long movement is a step dotted with obstacles. Women have to face difficult conditions, such as the lack of security and stability, as well as the damage caused to infrastructure. Many of them will have to travel long distances on foot to reach their homes, often reduced in ruins. This reality raises questions about their psychological and physical preparation to face these challenges, especially in the absence of basic services and sufficient protection in several areas.
Psychological support workshops: an essential step towards adaptation
Faced with these challenges, the UJFP organized a psychological support workshop entitled “Return in security”, intended for women and girls displaced from the al-Qarinawi and Abu al-Atta camps. The main objective of this workshop was to strengthen the capacities of women to deal with the psychological and social challenges linked to the movement and to provide them with the skills necessary to adapt to the changes that will intervene when they return and after.
The workshop focused on several axes to meet the needs of women in this sensitive phase:
1. Strengthen psychological and social adaptation:
The workshop approached strategies allowing women to manage anxiety and fear related to the return. They were trained in techniques such as deep breathing and meditation to reduce stress, while encouraging a positive thought to overcome difficulties.
2. Integrate into new environments:
The workshop has emphasized the importance of creating a social support network by promoting links with neighbors and members of the local community. This helps to establish a favorable environment that helps women adapt to their new reality.
“I want to see my room”
3. Plan a safe return:
The importance of progressive and organized planning has been highlighted to avoid psychological trauma. Women have been encouraged to develop plans including intermediate steps and thoughtful measures to guarantee their return safely.
4. Strengthen personal conscience:
The workshop insisted on the importance for women to take preventive measures to ensure their safety and that of their families, as well as on how to manage the security and environmental challenges that they could be faced when they return.
The importance of psychological support to strengthen resilience
These workshops offer them a secure space to express their emotions and learn practical techniques in order to adapt to new conditions. In addition, they strengthen their ability to deal with psychological and social pressures, thus improving their self -confidence and their ability to assume their responsibilities.
Challenges and risks when returning
Women face numerous challenges when they return, in particular the lack of security, the risks linked to dangerous roads, as well as the absence of basic services in the regions where they return. The damage suffered by the infrastructure further complicates the situation, making access to essential needs such as shelter and extremely difficult food. The participants were trained to manage these risks thanks to the development of prior plans, to improve communication with local authorities to guarantee their protection, and to rely on community support to overcome obstacles.
-Closing of the workshop: strengthen hope in the face of challenges
The workshop concluded with thanks to the participants for their interaction and their contributions. The host stressed the importance of putting into practice the skills acquired during the workshop in order to reduce stress and guarantee safe return. She also insisted on the need to keep hope and work on the construction of a new life despite the many challenges encountered.
Towards a better future
Through these workshops, women are reinforced to overcome the effects of war and displacement, and to regain control of their lives. The return is not just a physical step towards a place, but a global process which requires a psychological and social resilience. Thanks to the psychological support provided, women are better prepared to face the challenges and to feed the hope of a new and stable life. »»
Photos and videos here.
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Message from Marsel on January 25 on the general movement of the Gazaoui return to them with the information we have tonight: Israë blocks the passage north of Gaza.
“In a scene that breaks the heart, a large number of displaced people come together, forming a portrait of pain and hope. Women carry their children in their arms, while the elderly are fighting to walk, facing a difficult path that extends over the north of the Gaza Strip. Whole families, filled with souvenirs and broken dreams, anxiously await authorization to return to their land, devastated by the occupation. The suffering of children is reflected in their innocent eyes, while they wonder about the houses they left behind and the friends they lost. Meanwhile, the elderly, overwhelmed by the weight of their years, fight to take steps towards their return, facing the challenges of life and the unknown, but refuse to abandon. With each step, their hearts piles with hope, and the right to return remains a light that guides their dark paths. Despite the pain, they overcome all obstacles. They are not just figures in statistics, these are human stories that bear independence. »»
Screenshot of the video showing thousands of Palestinians Eager to return home to northern Gaza, blocked at the point closest to the Netzarim corridor, in the center of Gaza, by the occupation genocidal troops.
VIDEO showing the occupation forces pulling on Palestinians in rue Salah al-Din, north of the Al-Nuseirat camp, and making several injured.
Find all the testimonies of Abu Amir and Marsel:
*Abu amir moved Eleïwa is a coordinator of farmers since 2016 south of the Gaza Strip and correspondent of the French Jewish Union for Peace.
*Marsel alledawi is responsible for the Ibn Sina Center in the North of the Gaza Strip, a center which is dedicated to the educational and psychological monitoring of childhood.
Both are supported by the UJFP in France.
Click here to consult the testimonies from November 20, 2023 to January 5, 2025.
Part 270/6 January; Part 271/7 January; Part 272: January 8; Part 273: January 10; Part 274/11 January; Part 275/11 January (1); Part 276: January 12; Part 277: January 13; Part 278: January 14. Part 279: January 15. Part 280: January 16. Part 281: January 16/1. Part 282: January 17. Part 283: January 18. Part 284: January 18/1. Part 285: January 19-20. Part 286: January 22. Part 287: January 22/1. Part 288: January 23. Part 289: January 23-1.
To participate in the “War Emergency in Gaza” collection: Helloasso.com
Testimonies are also published on UJFP, Altermidi and on the fist.
The article Testimonials from Gazaouis: the survival that is organized day by day in the hell of Gaza – part January 290/25 – Prepare women for return to their housing regions first appeared on International Solidarity Movement – ISM-France.
Source: Ismfrance.org
