WUNRN
Syrian refugee women
knit at the IRC Women's Center in
By Alina Potts for
IRC affiliate The International Rescue Committee. Jan. 15, 2013
ARSAAL,
Aged from 12 to 15 years
old, these girls are at our new Women and
As a member of the
International Rescue Committee’s Emergency Response Team, I’m here to
help set up our programming for women and girl refugees; this center is a key
component of our efforts. Guided group discussions like this one allow women
and girls to access emotional support in a safe, confidential space. Women and
girls fleeing
For adolescents, fitting in
is often hard—and it is certainly no exception here. After the horrors many
experienced in
While Aisha and her family
may be safer now than in
While aid groups are racing
to build new shelters and improve those already in use, they are unable to keep
up with the pace of new arrivals.. Arsaal, home to roughly 33,000 Lebanese, has
seen its population swell by more than 30 percent since fighting broke out in
Lara Nuwayhid, a social worker
at the center, provides counseling and support, and organizes group sessions
for adolescent girls. “With all that’s going on, all the problems they
have to deal with, all the trauma they’ve been through, people need a safe and
comforting environment to express themselves,” she explains. “They need to be
heard. It’s really comforting to talk about what’s been going on, to say what
they have been through and hear what other people have experienced. It makes
them feel like they’re not alone.” The IRC center is one of two that opened
late last year, with two more planned for early 2013. As many as 50 women and
girls have come through the doors in a single day.
I am constantly struck by
the remarkable resilience of the women and girls I’ve met. They have survived
tremendous loss, and find themselves in an uncertain and harsh
environment. Yet they possess an extraordinary ability to
persevere. Here at the IRC center, they are able to connect with each
other, draw on each other’s strength, and find services tailored to their
needs.
Recovery will be a long and
difficult process for many. However, at the end of Aisha’s session, I notice
that she and her peers seem more at ease. “I actually feel comfortable and more
relaxed now that I’ve expressed myself. I feel better after coming here.”
*Names have been changed to
ensure privacy.
Alina Potts is the Women’s
Protection and Empowerment Emergency Coordinator on the IRC’s Emergency
Response Team. She has been with the IRC for more than four years. Her
work to protect and empower women and girls has taken her to the Dadaab Refugee
Camps, North Kivu and