Report on his visit in his own words
The last few months were challenging and rewarding as I led a humanitarian emergency response mission to the Caribbean Island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
I got to see an amazing country, that just 6 months ago I did not know existed. And I met incredible people and resilient communities who got into my heart. After many years of work in emergency operations management and disaster recovery projects, it’s rare to work with communities affected by a pandemic, volcanic eruption (La Soufrière), and a hurricane (Elsa) in a single year.
To support the affected communities, we supported the local Ministry of Education and Ministry of National Mobilization in helping children process their stress and trauma. With IsraAID We built a strong partnership with the local government, UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies – IFRC to establish child-safe spaces in more than 20 displaced communities. Without any regular activities, and after over a year out of school due to the pandemic, the children were dealing with a lot of stress. Therefore, we strove to provide children with emotional support.
In collaboration with the Institute of Disaster Mental Health from the State University of NY in SUNY New Paltz, we trained 26 counselors and practitioners from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of National Mobilization on self-care, and how to support themselves and others in managing stress during times of crisis. The training included basic facilitation skills, introduction to child protection in emergencies, self care, stress and resilience, coping strategies, and basic psycho-social support tools for children. Based on the training they received, the counselors conducted self-care workshops for over 200 displaced teachers, frontline workers, nursing home workers, and displaced individuals. They will continue to support people to manage their trauma and stress in the coming year. We also distributed hundreds of water filters, resilience, and self-care kits for displaced children and parents.
We succeed to accomplish our goal to support displaced communities in utilizing their skills and fulfilling their potential during and after times of crisis and in consequence strengthen and empower them as they take charge of their own lives and their own future.
Guy Shrayer has over seven years of experience in Projects and Disaster Operation Management in the Humanitarian and Non-Profit Sector. He has earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economy and Psychology, and his Master’s degree in International Development and Conflict Resolution; from a university within the framework of the UNESCO Chair of Philosophy for Peace.
