An AVP-affiliated group in Ann Arbor ran a community Basic + Special Topic on Trauma Resiliency, offered as an in-person workshop the week of May 30th featuring visiting AVP Facilitator Nadine Hoover. The workshop included 15 teen and adult participants, 1 lead facilitator and 3 apprentice facilitators as part of a pilot project with Mercy-USA that is focused on refugee well being. The primary goal of the initial workshop was to develop local capacity for facilitation and general workshop organizing. Those who participated will be meeting bi-weekly for potlucks to practice activities and play light and livelies throughout the summer. In addition, Mercy-USA is currently working to translate the participant guide into Dari with future plans for Pashto and Arabic with plans to do the same with the basic manual once the revisions are completed.
The local Ann Arbor team, which includes AVP Facilitators Jaye Starr and Maryam Ashraf, will be running two Basics during the weeks of July 18 and August 1 in English and Dari with half of the participants recently arrived Afghans. They look forward to being able to offer more Special Topic Trauma Resiliency workshops come fall after having had more time to practice the materials.
Mercy-USA is going to be conducting extensive evaluations to track the impact value of both workshops specifically with regards to trauma resiliency and domestic violence. Some of the first workshop participants are also interested in future prison-based workshops.
As part of the Mercy-USA initiative, a local team will be running a mini-program around Resiliency through the lens of Islam for workshop alumni.
