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Preparing to return to the community
SAID ALOUD
Preparing to return to the community
Aim . To clarify the many challenges that may arise for a survivor when she returns to her community , and what kinds of assistance can make her return easier or more successful .
PART II : THE TRAINING
Trainer . I will continue .
Slowly the Butterfly Woman regained her strength . She acquired confidence in the skills she had learned , and was not so worried about being triggered . She managed to ground herself quite quickly when it happened .
Still , one area in her life overwhelmed her with sadness and despair . She tried not to think about it because it gave her so much pain . One day the helper brought it up without her asking . The helper said that it was time to try to talk to her husband and family , to see if it might be possible to reconnect with them .
When the Butterfly Woman heard the helper , she immediately saw an image of her husband with angry and frightened eyes , his mouth open , yelling that she should leave . She saw her crying children , and it tore her heart . She started to tremble and cry but managed to ground herself and come back to the present .
She and the helper continued to talk about a possible reunion . The helper calmed her by saying that they would proceed step by step . Some of the helpers visited the village to talk to her family and other villagers . The Butterfly Woman derived great support from another woman from her village , who had also been raped and rejected by her family . They supported each other and reminded each other to use the coping skills they had learned . They were encouraged to talk about good memories of the village , so the bad memories would lose some of their strong grip on their bodies and minds .
Discussion . Explore the challenges involved .
DISCUSSION
Ask the participants to form small groups and discuss the challenges that confront a survivor when she decides she would like to return to her community . Discuss also how it could have been different if a human rights-based approach had been adopted in the community .