OVER the month of April, tears of pain turned to those of joy for 36 vulnerable women and girls who participated in the Rise Up: Healing Today, Thriving Tomorrow vocational and trauma-informed workshops facilitated by the Women Owned Media and Education Network (Women).
There was laughter and applause, a show of strength and resilience, and most importantly hope at the programme’s graduation ceremony at the St Jude’s Home for Girls on May 3.
The vocational and psychosocial training initiative, which ran from April 6–30, was hosted by Women in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence’s Counter Trafficking Unit (CTU), and supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The 17 Venezuelan girls, aged 14-17, who were housed at St Jude’s, participated in the nail technology workshop, the 13 local St Jude’s residents did beginner tote bags and heat pressing, the six Venezuelan women from CTU safe houses learned basic sewing and they all had building confidence and leadership training.
[caption id="attachment_1156887" align="alignnone" width="768"] A Rise Up participant shows off the nail work of her fellow student. - [/caption]
Women founder Lucia Cabrera Jones explained, “The Rise Up programme was designed with a trauma-informed approach, aimed at restoring dignity, building skills, and fostering resilience among girls identified as victims of tafficking, both local and migrant. They participated in a series of carefully curated sessions that blended vocational training with emotional and psychological support.
“Workshops in sewing, nail technology and self-esteem building offered these girls not just practical skills, but an opportunity to reclaim their confidence and imagine new possibilities for their futures.
“The expressive art therapy sessions, delivered in collaboration with Chosen Hands, added a deeply healing dimension to the experience, allowing participants to process emotions and find creative outlets for their voices.”
She said the activities helped to improve the participants’ mental health, restore their self-esteem and let them know they were worthy of being given a chance in life despite their circumstances.
[caption id="attachment_1156886" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Trafficked Venezuelans model the dresses the made in the Women basic sewing workshop.- Photos courtesy WOMEN. [/caption]
Cabrera Jones added that, at the graduation, they gave testimonies which led to many tears and much laughter.
“We have done a lot of programmes but something about this one really touched every single one of the people who were there.”
Christine Forde, Victim and Witness Support Officer at the CTU, said the programme was especially meaningful for the young women under her care, all of whom were survivors of human trafficking and under the age of 25.
She provided psychosocial support intervention to help them deal with the post-decisional depression and trauma they were experiencing.
“They would have made a choice on what was offered to them believing it was something go
