Training for Psychosocial Focal Points (PFPs) in South Sudan has been underway for the past few months as they prepare to support women and girls in their communities. We spoke to some of them about the goals of the programme and their experience in advocating for women’s rights.
What are Psychosocial Focal Points?
PFPs are South Sudanese women and men that have been trained and mentored to provide mental health assistance and raise awareness on mental health issues in their local communities. They are often the first point of call for community members, supporting cases of forced marriage, sexual and gender-based violence and mental health problems. PFPs ensure that survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) can access quality healthcare and protection services.
HeathNet TPO has so far this year trained 50 PFPs who are now ready to work with support groups consisting of GBV survivors to discuss issues affecting them and particularly those related to women’s rights. Through psychosocial support, the PFPs create an empowering and inclusive environment where women and girls feel safer, stronger and better able to realise their rights so they can play an influential role in sustainable peace in South Sudan. We shone the spotlight on some of our new Leaders of Peace!
Providing Support and Recovery
Modi Philip is one of the Leaders of Peace from Yambio. Drawing on her own experience of an abusive relationship, she began raising awareness on issues related to GBV to advocate for women’s rights within her community. Modi was emotionally abused by her husband who did not allow her to attend school or work. Despite this, she kept working to support both her husband and her daughter until he began confiscating her earnings. After divorcing from her abusive husband, she went back to school and eventually graduated from a technical school of engineering before pursuing her interest in healthcare. She is now enrolled in the institute of nursing and midwifery in Yambio. Modi believes that every woman deserves to work and encourages them to make a living for themselves without having to depend on a husband. As a PFP, she helps GBV survivors heal and recover from different forms of violence and can refer them to medical facilities or law enforcement officials if needed.
“This training on GBV case management and psychosocial support is very good for me and each of these participants simply because it looks into most of the issues that are affecting our people in the community, I am glad to have been part of this training because so much came up that I can reflect back to and now I feel like I am equipped with the right knowledge to go help my people in the community.”
– Modi Philip Joshua
Preventing Future Violence and Raising Awareness
In addition to providing one-on-one support, PFPs also organise mass sensitization campaigns about trauma and stress and general discussions about the role of women. Modong Ronah is another case worker from Nimule payam who raises awareness among the women and girls in her community about the normalised beliefs and practices that threaten their wellbeing. Being a girl in her community has indeed always felt like a burden and Modong hopes that this information will inspire them to see life differently and prevent GBV cases.
In order to prevent GBV and promote gender equality, it is essential to include men in the process of advancing women’s rights. PFPs facilitate brainstorming sessions with both men and women to create a safe space where different perspectives and information can be shared. Martin is a PFP who brings men into the discussion about women’s wellbeing with the hope of improving relationships between the men and women in his community.
Together with their teams, Modi, Modong, and Martin are paving the way for a better future for women and girls in South Sudan. HealthNet TPO supports women in South Sudan as part of a consortium of national and international NGOs, including Assistance Mission for Africa (AMA), EVE, PAX and PLAN International under the Dutch National Action Plan: Women Peace and Security.
