Trained Community Volunteer Counsellors successfully supported to conduct one (1) day trauma awareness and counselling services on 28th March 2023 in Malualbaai Boma of Malualbaai Payam, Aweil East County, Northern Bahr El Ghazal State.

Community Initiative for partnership and Development (CIPAD) with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Peace and Community Cohesion (PaCC) funded by the Government of Sweden has successfully supported Malualbaai Community Volunteer Counsellors to conduct one (1) day trauma awareness and counselling services in Malualbaai Boma of Malual Payam on 28^th March 2023 attended by 30 participants (15 women and 15 men).

The supported activity has:

1. Facilitated the trained Community Volunteer Counsellors to conduct trauma awareness meeting in their respective communities
2. Enabled communities understanding about trauma and how it can affect people and groups, recognizing the signs of trauma, having a system which can respond to trauma, and resisting re-traumatization.
3. Empowered the trained Community Volunteer Counsellors to take collective ownership and action in creating trauma awareness and providing the required community psychosocial support services in their respective locations
4. Enabled the trained Community Volunteer Counsellors built on strengths, identify and address barriers, and move toward sustainable provision of community psychosocial support services in their respective communities
5. Ensured that trained volunteer groups of counsellors are supported and facilitated to identify, document trauma incidences and provide psychosocial support services to the identified trauma survivors within their respective communities.

All the participants thanked UNDP, Sweden and CIPAD for organizing communities, and building their capacities in order identify, document trauma incidences and provide psychosocial support services to the survivors within their respective communities.

This work was made possible with the support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Sweden.