Women Creating Community Together
Over the course of ten weekly meetings of the Women’s Group, participants explored conversations about their struggles to navigate access to healthcare resources, to cope with the unfamiliarity of the public school system, and to better advocate for themselves in various facets of their lives.
At the beginning of the new year, the Philadephia Partnership for Resilience launched our 2016 women's group. In a conference room, 7 women gathered together, some with their children, some just looking for a new opportunity to get involved with their community. The Philadelphia Partnership for Resilience (PPR) offers case management, support and psychoeducation groups, as well as referrals to local resources, for clients from various cultural backgrounds who share parallel experiences as survivors of torture.
In the space of PPR Men’s and Women’s Groups, the PPR team brings together clients to build a community of individuals looking to find a way to navigate their everyday experiences across various systems. Over the course of ten weekly meetings of the Women’s Group, participants explored conversations about their struggles to navigate access to healthcare resources, to cope with the unfamiliarity of the public school system, and to better advocate for themselves in various facets of their lives.
Clients began each meeting with a discussion of their previous week and how they settled into their everyday routines. As the participants built rapport together, the conversations naturally deepened. Each week participants shared insight about their experiences navigating various systems in the United States to support their families. Over the course of the group, the women learned to build a community together and committed to the shared space of their group. They consistently showed accountability to one another. They communicated when they couldn’t attend a meeting, they checked in with other group members to inquire after their attendance and wellness, and they participated in midterm and final evaluations to share their valuable feedback. Even as they explored their challenges in their post-resettlement experiences, the women also expressed appreciation for the resources they had been able to access while working with their PPR Case Managers, Zainab Alsawaf, Megan O’Brien, and Ubah Ahmed.
Toward the end of the group, the PPR Women’s Group members traveled to Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. At the museum, the women quickly took to the installation of glass mosaic and found everyday objects.
The following week the participants promptly discussed what other opportunities may be available in their neighborhoods, so that they can continue to explore the city with their families. The group culminated on March 29, with participants bringing family members and celebrating their dedicated involvement with the group over the last two months, together building a community of resilient women.
If you are interested in providing support for the Women’s Group and other PPR programming, please contact Cathy Jeong, PPR Project Coordinator, at cjeong@nscphila.org.
