Emotional Health | Sayariy-Resurgiendo

We reinforce and strengthen public health of these marginal areas of Trujillo thanks to the collaboration of volunteers and professionals who work within different health-science disciplines such as nursing, occupational therapy, nutrition and psychology, mainly in El Porvenir but also in Florencia de Mora.

Mental and emotional health are especially important in Sayariy, being one of the main focal points of our work: Health is a Human Right and emotional health is a very important part of it, very often neglected in our society.

In situations of high poverty, maltreatment and marginalization, emotional health problems become very evident on a large scale. To identify these issues and find solutions, we develop educational training courses to provide to local professionals the necessary skills to strengthen this aspect in a local setting. To do so, we count on the international collaboration and expertise of our partner Paseo.

The World Health Organization says: Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. In this positive sense, it constitutes the basis of individual wellbeing and effective functioning of the community. Indeed, we firmly believe that it is essential to take care of it and that is why Mental Health is a theme that permeates every single step we move forward.

Non-violent and inclusive social skills are fundamental in every community, especially in those marginal zones where public social services are thin on the ground.

Our team works with kids, teens and adults promoting emotional health. It is very important because it has a direct impact at many levels – individual, family and community. Since most of the inhabitants of these areas come from the mountains/highlands and face a new reality, these workshops and skills help them build healthier and stronger ties within the community. Assertive, inclusive, constructive and non-violent attitudes help them improve their lived reality and make it easier to integrate and progress in this new environment.

Early Childhood Accompaniment

Early childhood is the basis for development. Several studies show that “large numbers of children in developing countries are exposed to multiple risk factors in the early years of life including poor health, malnutrition, and low levels of home stimulation” (Baker-Henningham & López Bóo, 2010). Moreover, in the areas where we work the majority of mothers take on sole responsibility for the upbringing of their children, some of them too young themselves and generally not sufficiently prepared to look after such an important developmental stage of their kids. In these areas Family Planning Programs are not yet available and in many cases these women face unintended pregnancies in very precarious economic and social situations.

Our psychology team provides early childhood stimulation sessions to mothers in Nueva Libertad. We work on affection and bonding between the kids and their parents, something essential to avoid emotional vacuums, trauma or other problems that might have severe consequences on the future of these individuals. Mothers and fathers learn from the professionals and are encouraged to continue with the program at home, thus promoting health and wellbeing.