The shelter provides professional care and safety measures for needy women, victims of human trafficking. The main objective of our work is based on the commitment to fight for women’s rights and to strengthen their desire for a new and independent life. The shelter is a key place in order to succeed in fighting against human traffic. It’s not about a safety house or a mere place to five. Generally speaking, the victims lose their dignity and self confidence, that’s why the shelter offers them a new opportunity when talking about independence and self esteem. Thus, the structure of the shelter, the shared responsibilities and the counseling program are thought to prevent different traps trafficked women may face, such as stereotypy.
The recovery shelter is based in a Solwodi’s premises and has a confidential address. It promotes self-management and household, the way through a new sense of freedom, the recovery of lost dignity and the improvement of child-mother relation. Here, women live in a very secure and far from violence house which help them to get their inner balance and confidence. Hosting services are offered for one to six months depending on the women’s necessity.
Each woman who reaches our shelter benefits of counseling sessions, main support in finding a job, in renting a house and in managing the problems with health care, school for children or a nursery. When necessary they are helped to provide new IDs or a restraining order, supported during divorce process or a trial.
At the end of her hosting time, the assisted woman should be able to run an independent life far from the aggressor and to face some possible aggression situations.
During their hosting time women may participate in different activities, such as:
Art therapy or expressive art therapy
It is a very useful way which facilitates the communication child-mother, self-evaluation and therapy/recovery. Through some artistic techniques and devices, women are taught to verbalize unexpressed thoughts and feelings. Drawings and scrabbles, paintings and modeling and marionettes, collage and poetry, creating stories, fairy-tales or fiction, help them to surpass inner tensions and anxieties. These techniques are used individually but also in groups.
Ludotherapy
Ludotherapy it’s a very useful technique when talking about children with difficulties in oral expression or some emotional problems which affect their growth. For any child it comes very natural to use playtime as a way to express his/her fears (related to an abuse, or any other fears) or negative experiences. Through the play, the child may express his/her pain, sadness, fear, anxiety, thus being helped to assume and integrate the negative parts of their lives. This therapy is used individually but also in groups.
Movement and dance techniques
Women are helped to discover, accept and love their bodies. Each move helps them to feel freer, to get ride of tensions and negative energy, emotional release, improvement of self-consciousness. The combined movement exercises help children with a certain lock body or superficial respiration, hyperactive with no control over their body.
Counseling thorough psychodrama
It helps to purchase new abilities and behaviors and has strong effects upon human personality, thus the new acquired behavior is moved by different emotions. It may be used in group or individual work.
Recreation and educative activities
All kinds of activities and plays which are not focused on violence or competition are welcomed in order to increase self growth and mutual aid. We strongly encourage any sport, walking in the park or dance. Our special attention is given to the children with learning problems.