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What MHPSS means in Colombia: Supporting women to heal and lead change

“It takes courage to be here”: Zulay and the women building peace in La Macarena, Colombia

What does it take for a woman to reclaim her voice in a region silenced by decades of conflict?

La Macarena, in the department of Meta in south-central Colombia, is a region known for its biodiversity, ancestral wisdom, and the resilience of its communities. Yet, this richness coexists with a difficult past—decades of armed conflict have left deep scars, weakening the social fabric and breeding mistrust, both towards the State and within communities themselves.

Among those most affected are women, who face significant mental health challenges linked to gender-based violence (GBV), the lack of accessible psychological care, and the enduring expectation stemming from their caregiving responsibilities. Many community leaders—often women themselves—carry this emotional burden with little support or training.

HealthNet TPO began working in La Macarena in 2023, fully aware of the region’s complex legacy of conflict and the deep mistrust it left behind. Reaching these communities is no small task—geographic isolation, high travel costs, and persistent stigma severely limit access to mental health care and social services. Within this landscape, many women had endured layered forms of violence—domestic, institutional, and historical—often without ever receiving psychological support.

The Strength of the Collective

For HealthNet TPO’s programme in Colombia—Women Advocates Peace (WAP)—wellbeing and peacebuilding are inseparable. Healing the wounds of conflict is not only an individual journey; it is a collective and political act.

One of the participant to the project is Zulay Bonilla Valencia, a 48-year-old Afro-descendant woman who lives in La Macarena. She works as a domestic cleaner and cares for her teenage daughter, who has been diagnosed with depression. Beyond her daily responsibilities, Zulay is a respected social leader within the Afro-Colombian community—known for her radiant smile, uplifting energy, and the warmth of her embrace. Her presence is a source of comfort and strength for those around her.

Like many women in the region, Zulay was not only a survivor of personal and collective trauma, but also a caregiver—quietly carrying her own emotional burdens while supporting others.

I was a woman who didn’t go out. I didn’t socialise. I stayed at home. I was always a very overprotective mum. It takes courage to be here.

— Zulay Bonilla Valencia, participant in HealthNet TPO's programmes

In response to the deep psychological wounds and social fragmentation experienced by women in La Macarena, HealthNet TPO launched a locally rooted initiative focused on collective healing and women’s leadership. Central to this effort was the partnership with Mujeres que lideran con valentía (Women Leading with Courage)—a group of local women committed to advancing mental health, peacebuilding, and the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV).

Together, we began by mapping community needs, risks, and available resources. Through participatory workshops, the group developed a shared understanding of psychosocial wellbeing, the gendered impacts of violence, and the many ways in which peace can be imagined and built in their context. HealthNet TPO supported them with training in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), leadership development, and advocacy—transforming individual pain into collective strength.

Being with HealthNet TPO was like that lifeline that arrived at just the right time. It was only three or four sessions with the psychologist, but they helped me a lot. Now I can speak more easily about who I was before and who I am today. I have discovered many things about myself.

— Zulay Bonilla Valencia, participant in HealthNet TPO's programmes

In every activity, we draw on embodied practices, narrative tools, and shared experiences to process pain and restore dignity. Together with women leaders, we co-create strategies that encourage deep listening—to each other, and to themselves—and foster the growth of support networks, both among the women and with other organisations.

Fight for what you want, because it’s never too late. I’m studying at 47 years old; I finished my high school. If we want to do something, we have to do it, and it’s never too late to start over. You have to try a thousand times, just like I tell my daughter when she says she can’t do something that seems simple to me but is complicated for her… what I tell my daughter, I have to tell myself, because sometimes I don’t want to fight for myself, sometimes I just want to stay there and not move. But we can do it. Women are brave.

Zulay’s story is a testament to what becomes possible when women find spaces to speak, connect, and envision new ways of living—with dignity, courage, and hope.

Want to learn more about HealthNet TPO’s Women Advocate Peace (WAP) programme in Colombia?

The WAP programme promotes women’s political advocacy, strengthens women’s participation in peacebuilding and leadership, and builds women’s capacities for political participation and economic empowerment.

It contributes to transforming local realities, enabling women to be recognised not only as survivors of conflict but as leaders, advocates, and agents of change in their communities.

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