Back to most
recent news releases • Browse archive: 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • Email this
story
Psychosocial Support Team: "Talking Escapes the Tension"
Young survivors of the earthquake in Pakistan.
Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT-CWS
|
The Psychosocial Support Team (PSST) of CWS/Pakistan manages psychosocial interventions in earthquake-affected communities. The team conducted assessments of camp settlements during the last six months, as the camps came into existence and were slowly and then quickly filled, and now as they have been disbanded.
Saima, the leader of the PSST based at CWS's Mansehra office, recently spoke to visitors about how the teams were able to interact with men, especially, given the culture's norms of separation between the sectors. A visiting European journalist was especially surprised, and pressed Saima on what he saw as "a silver lining to the earthquake" – men's acceptance of women's help. Saima portrayed it differently.
Saima was a resident of Mansehra when the earthquake struck. She offered her services to the CWS office and became team leader, where her knowledge of the Pashtun dialect is put to good use. A young woman, she described how she was seen as "the mother of the camp, listening to stories, and getting people to talk about their experiences. The people were distraught, but then they realized that someone will take care of them.
"You get depressed – the things that come in my heart – you feel so deeply hurt. We sit at the end of the day (with other staff) to share our stories."
Saima described how they are a team of ten, including two men. "For a local person, I find it easy because I spent six months with the families. I see them all day.
"Though it's not common that men would talk to women, we are in their camp, we have the relationships; they see that we were staying there."
When asked if she were a feminist, Saima answered, "I believe in gender equity." She continued, "If you have a strong relationship in the field, then people will talk to you."
The journalist asked, "Men will talk about feelings?! To a woman?!"
Saima reflected. "The men think I'm strong, but it depends on your courage. The first thing I learned is to talk sincerely to a person, then the relationship will come."
She continued, "Men were sitting behind, turned away. Maybe they wanted to say, 'I have those feelings.' Men have the right to express these, too. Talking escapes the tension. We can't just sleep and forget.
"I have done this for six months. And I feel the pain. I put myself in their shoes. Initially it was depressing and pathetic. People are now much better. People have coped well."
Contributions to support earthquake survivors can be sent to:
Church World Service
Southern Asia Earthquake --#6979
P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.
Contributions can also be made online or by calling 800.297.1516, ext. 222.
Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;
Back to most
recent news releases • Browse archive: 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • Email this
story