Monday, March 21, 2016

Peer Support Network update

The past few months have gone by wildly fast. It seems like I just got back from Christmas vacation in America!

The reason the past 3 months have gone by in warp speed has been because I spent then in my most natural state of being busy. I try not to glorify being busy - relaxing and the going v with the characters flow is also important - but I find I'm happiest when I'm occupied with activity! 

What has been keeping me so busy you ask? Well as I mentioned in previous posts, I've been working with another volunteer to bring a positive change to peace corps Madagascar in the form of a Peer Support network. Over these last three months we made big steps forward in making this happen - working with the training staff to increase the inclusivity and allyship to training sessions and creating a larger focus on stress management and mental health as well as emotional well being. 

Most recently, I attended a training with the Regional Mental Health Officer for Peace Corps. We discussed issues with support here in Madagascar and made plans to improve the amount and level of support volunteers receive. This is a project I'm passionate about because I've often felt unsupported in country and I think volunteers could have more successful services if they were emotionally and mentally strong and supported by the staff and their peers. 

The next steps are continuing to improve training and getting started on formalizing a network of volunteers trained to provide support and direct volunteers to the correct staff member of more support is needed. It should be an exciting end of service! 

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