What is needed
What we need to do
The past is the past and has nothing to do with right now. Do not let anything from your past inhibit you in this present moment. Start over. Start fresh. Each day. Each hour, if it serves you. Heck, each minute. Just get going.
—ND Walsh
Although these sentiments sound inspiring and enticing this is not the reality or easy answer to what we are facing in South Africa currently; a better option would be to ask:
“What do we do with our rage, anguish and sorrow over the psychological trauma we have experienced?” and “Where do we go to nourish our souls?
—(Brewster, 2019: webinar)
Support Programmes
It is our opinion that our children and ourselves need a place to express, acknowledge and resolve these deep traumas in a therapeutic environment with unconditional positive regard and acceptance, empathy-negotiating safe spaces.
The Baratang Initiative aims to provide support for children who have experienced trauma. However, the whole system needs to be taken into consideration. We have learnt "it takes a village to raise a child" and we as a community can only heal a grow if all the conflicted and strained relationships resulting from trauma are included. To this effect, the Baratang Initiative supports and initiates interventions which provide:
- Sustainable therapeutic relationships through art therapies where children, teenagers and adults can learn to support each other and receive support from a therapist.
- Trauma-informed training for educators.
- Trauma-informed training for parents.
