SOLWODI is the short form for SOLidarity with WOmen in DIstress. Sr. Lea Ackerman laid the foundation for this charitable organisation in October 1985 in Mombasa, Kenya. As a nun there, she encountered women and girls who were forced into prostitution as a result of poverty. Today, SOLWODI has 10 counselling centres along the Kenyan coast and supports a widows and orphans project in Rwanda.
Since 1987 SOLWODI has also been active in Germany with 15 counselling centres, 1 reception centre and 7 shelters for foreign women and girls in distress or who are victims of human trafficking and forced prostitution, domestic violence or forced marriages. Other women turn to us due to problems with residence permits or integration.
A new SOLWODI counselling centre in Romania was opened in 2009 in order to help women and children and diminish their vulnerability to abuse situations and to protect victims of domestic violence and human trafficking through a holistic psychosocial care and counselling, shelter, legal intervention and medical assistance.
Caseworkers provide psychological individual and group counselling. The individual counselling is provided according to the individual needs and in accordance with the objectives identified in the reintegration plan drafted by the case worker and the beneficiary. The counselling sessions in general will be focused on: a) recovery of the case from the past traumatic events; b) stabilization of the emotional state of being; c) improvement of her psychological well-being by reconciliation processes if possible, with members of the family and others, building self-esteem, and developing vocational training towards providing employment opportunities. This will enable the beneficiary to begin to develop her own future plans, leading towards an independent life. (link spre serviciile centrului de consiliere și al centrului de recuperare).
The Education and Training program works to create a coordinated community and systems response to domestic violence and sexual assault through public awareness resources and materials, community education activities, professional training and technical assistance initiatives and collaborative partnerships. The voices of victims and survivors and the principles of cultural competency are represented in all aspects of our work to help ensure the use of accurate information and statistics, reliable research and data, high quality, best practices programming and safe, ethical interventions.
The goal of the campaigns is to build public will on having a society which has zero tolerance to domestic violence. This can mean more than calling one’s legislator to express a position; it can mean encouraging individuals to behave in a way that creates the necessary social context for policy change. (link spre campanii)
Through the contact fill in form from the website we were able to develop an online counseling section which is constantly accessed by our visitors. This is a complementary tool for women who are not able to attend the “face to face” counseling sessions, expecially those who live far from Bucharest or are not ready yet for a new start in their lives. (link formular contact)
On the other hand since 2009 our professional team helped several couples to redefine their mutual respect and love, through the family therapy. We are most grateful to those whose constant support offered us increased every year, giving us opportunity to expand the project and reach other communities, outside Bucharest.
We mention here Police, Child protection, different NGO`s, school directors and companies which despite our humble beginnings, proved that we are not alone in our passion and dedication to provide services and support to the victims.