Menu
Shalom Centre for Counselling and Development (SCCoDev), is a registered NGO in Kenya that is creating and holding trusted and transformative spaces for healing and reconciliation, and promotion of sustainable livelihoods in affected communities. SCCoDev was founded in early 1990s by women who while serving Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of 1991/1992 violent conflicts saw the need to support women IDPs deal with their traumatic experiences.
The founding members who were mainly humanitarian workers also facilitated community dialogues among conflicting communities mainly from Bungoma and Trans Nzoia Counties.
SCCoDev founding member Dr. Tecla Namachanja visiting IDPs in Mt. Elgon in 1992.
From 2006-2008, Mt. Elgon Region experienced violent conflicts over land settlement that drew in a militia group and a military operation. This particular violence was very traumatizing to both community members of the Soy and Ndorobo.
SCCoDev founding members were among the care givers who went to Mt. Elgon region in 2008 with a mission of creating awareness about the traumatic impact of violence to communities. They had prepared flip charts for workshop facilitation. But when they entered the room with 30 women who were emotionally charged, they put away the flipcharts and held the space for women to offload their pain. They had 3 days of mourning and grieving with women from the Soy community and another 3 days of mourning with women from the Ndorobo community.
These two communities were the ones involved in the violent conflicts.
Dr. Namachanja holding a safe and trusted space for women from the Soy Community at Cheptonon Church in 2008.
In September 2020, a call was made to SCCoDev by one of the women from Mt. Elgon who participated in the 2008 healing process. She said that the pain was too much and some women were giving up and actually the rate of suicidal cases had increased. The fear was also too much regarding the coming general elections scheduled for 2022. Some women had observed early warning signs. The youth were referring to 2022 with threatening sentences such as “wait until 2022 reaches, they will see!” The women took these threats seriously because the region occasionally experiences sporadic violence as a result of revenge attacks. In fact, it was alleged that the last violent conflicts that took place in 2018 were revenge attacks.
So, SCCoDev went back to Mt. Elgon to embark on a journey of supporting communities heal from their traumatic past knowing how much people were wounded and being aware of the fact that it was going to be a long process.
To cultivate resilient communities for peace, justice and strong institutions
To foster sustainable peace by promoting transitional justice, reconciliation, community dialogue and by nurturing social healing circles
Kenyans suffer from all forms of trauma: ongoing, structurally induced, societal or collective, historical, secondary and participation induced. This affects the well being of the person and well-functioning of the society. IF trusted spaces are created among the affected for healing and dialogue THEN these communities will be able to co-exist peacefully and function well. This is BECAUSE through trusted spaces they will be able to support each other in the healing of their inner wounds and resolve conflicts productively.
Focus Area 1: Promote sustainable peace and development through social healing and reconciliation initiatives;
This will be done through reviewing procedures for social healing circle. SCCoDev has been creating safe spaces for community social healing using already prepared learning materials. These materials will be reviewed and adapted to suit the context of the targeted community. The program will also conduct training for circle holders on trauma healing methodology using African traditional mechanisms. The program will also implement social healing and community dialogues in the target areas namely Mt. Elgon region, Mombasa, Kerio valley and Nairobi.
Focus Area 2: Increase awareness on human rights violation and social injustice on affected communities;
Focus Area 3: Enhance institutional capacities for community resilience in peace and development;
This is going to be achieved through Identifying areas for establishing hubs for target special interventions. The program will map out areas for these interventions and create hubs within the affected communities, then design and implement specialized intervening strategies for each hub.
Focus Area 4: Enhance the use of research, innovation and communication for knowledge sharing and practice;
By designing protocols for research and data management, the program will identify tools such as relevant software to enable easy research and management of data relating to organization projects. Creation of a platform for journal for peace, transitional justice and social healing and a repository of documents will be put in place. This will enable the public to get familiar with the operations of the organization, and learn more about peace development in the society. The program will recognize channels and mechanisms of communication and make use of media channels like the social media, publications, television and radio to advance campaigns on social peace and reconciliation. Through developing and implementing a strong communication strategy, there will be an achievement of effective ways of reaching out to target groups in affected communities. This will be done by creating communication channels through relevant authorities like the local administration and county governments.
In our African traditions, the circle was greatly valued and respected. It demonstrated oneness, togetherness and a sense of belonging. It was considered as a trusted space of sharing experiences, making decisions and empowering each other.
Our strategic approach is centered on the transforming power of the traditional circle in 3 interconnected circles: the healing circle, the dialogue circle and the livelihood circle. In the healing circle we create and hold a trusted space where the affected support each other to heal. In the dialogue circle, community members discuss and come to consensus on the best way to live peacefully together.
Where conflicts arise, they are able to resolve them soberly, impartially and productively to the satisfaction of all affected parties. In the livelihood circle, community members look into together sustainable means of sustenance while ensuring no one is left behind. Conflict transformation is achieved where the three converge.
We are making a difference
© 2021 – SCCoDev