Healing children and youth in Sri Lanka

Introduction

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has brought many challenges to various sectors, including the social welfare sector. Despite these challenges, the Shanthi Maargam Youth Center has been able to continue its operations and fulfill its mission of providing a safe space for youth and promoting their psychological well-being. Despite the challenges posed by transportation costs and other difficulties, staff members who had been working in a hybrid method resumed visiting the youth center full-time starting in December 2022. This project report will discuss the strategies and initiatives implemented by the center to sustain its programs and services during this critical time. It will also highlight the impact of these efforts on the youth beneficiaries and their families.

 Following is a summary of the events organized and services provided by Shanthi Maargam over the past three months.

 Center Activities

 The center carried out ongoing activities with the children from November through February.

 Programs and activities

 Shathi Maargam youth center celebrated its sixth-year anniversary by bringing together all members of the staff. As we reminisced about the past years, we also set our sights on reaching even greater heights in the future. Meanwhile, the interns held sessions for the children and youth, featuring activities designed to foster self-awareness. For instance, the young participants drew pictures that reflected their present selves and their future aspirations. Another activity involved using Mandela art to enhance creativity and focus, accompanied by some soothing background music.

The Community Center in Obeysekarapura was buzzing with excitement as youths enjoyed a lively Christmas party. The celebration was filled with dance and singing performances, as well as fun games that kept everyone engaged. Fr. Don Rohan from the Methodist Church-Kollupitiya delivered a sermon about the history of Christmas and the significance of Jesus as a symbol of peace. Afterward, all enjoyed lunch, followed by the distribution of gifts to everyone in attendance.

Games and plays - The interns organized a highly engaging activity for the youth - a treasure hunt. After working collaboratively and following the clues, the first team to successfully complete the hunt generously decided to share their prize with the other team. Witnessing this act of kindness made us immensely proud and encouraged about our youth's character. The second activity was a game of hangman, where the participants learned new English words by filling in the blanks. This activity proved to be both informative and entertaining, and many of the youth considered it their favorite activity to date.

The new community outreach coordinator was hired during the month of February to oversee the operations and activities of the youth center and engage in the community outreach work of Shanthi Maargam. The new outreach coordinator worked tirelessly to maintain positive relationships with community members and stakeholders while promoting the center and its programs and establishing partnerships with organizations that can provide additional resources and support for the center and its youth.

Tutoring and homework help - The youth center facilitated English classes recognizing the importance of mastering English in today's globalized world. The class began with the teacher who is one of the counselors herself asking the youths to introduce themselves in English. The counselor started with the basics, teaching the youths the alphabet, numbers, and basic grammar rules. She used fun and interactive methods to keep the youths engaged, such as games and role-plays. The youth loved the class, and it was evident in their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. Further, other tutoring and homework help is offered to youth center kids. Many underprivileged children struggle with schoolwork due to a lack of resources or support. Offering tutoring and homework helps them with the extra help they need to succeed.

Arts and crafts - The Shanthi Maaargam youth center offers a variety of activities that are designed to promote learning, creativity, and social interaction. One of the most popular activities among children is drawing and painting. They have access to a wide range of art supplies, and they are encouraged to express their creativity through their artwork. The older children often act as mentors to the younger ones, offering guidance and support as they work on their projects. Arts and crafts are fun and engaging ways for children to express themselves and develop creativity

Another activity that the youth center offers is reading books. The center has a small collection of children's books. The children were encouraged to choose books that interest them, and they spent hours lost in the magic of the stories. Reading helps to build their vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills, and it fosters a love of learning.

Sports and physical activity - Youth center children were given the opportunity to play cricket. This sport is popular in the local community, and it provides the children with a chance to engage in physical activity while also building teamwork skills. The older children often acted as coaches, helping the younger ones learn the basics of the game, from batting to bowling to fielding. This activity also promotes sportsmanship and fair play, as the children learn to work together and support each other. Participating in sports and physical activity helps children develop physical fitness, teamwork, and confidence

Lunch Program

Shanthi Maargam introduced a lunch program for children at the youth center. Youth center children received lunch packages either two or three times a week. Providing lunch to youth center children from low-income families ensures that they receive at least two or three nutritious meals per week. Proper nutrition is essential for growing children, and a regular lunch program can ensure that they get the necessary nutrients for their physical and cognitive development. Children are more likely to attend the youth center regularly when they know they will receive a meal. This can lead to increased participation in educational and recreational activities, which can have a positive impact on their overall well-being.

Counselling and focus group counselling for youth center kids

 Counselling provides a safe and supportive environment for the center kids where youth can express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions without fear of judgment. It helps them develop coping strategies and build resilience to deal with stressors. We regularly held individual and focus group counseling sessions for the children at the center. Through one-to-one counseling children are able to improve their communication skills, increase their self-awareness, help youth learn how to make better decisions by exploring the consequences of their actions and considering alternative solutions, and enhance problem-solving skills. Further, focus group counseling services provided to youth center children offer them opportunities for youth to connect with others who are going through similar challenges. This peer support helps them feel less alone and builds a sense of community. Further, focus group counselling brings together youth from diverse backgrounds and experiences, which helps them learn from each other and broaden their perspectives. Overall, counseling and focus group counselling provides numerous benefits for youth center kids, including emotional support, improved communication, problem-solving skills, increased self-awareness, and better decision-making skills.

Teaching basic disciplines and behavioural guidelines

Teaching basic disciplines and behavioral guidelines for youth center kids is essential to help them develop positive habits and attitudes that will serve them well throughout their lives. Staff members at Shanthi Maargam regularly host programs and educational events that cover this section. Respect, responsibility, punctuality, cooperation, honesty, empathy, safety, diversity and inclusion, and a positive attitude are some basic disciplines and behavioural guidelines that are taught at a youth center. It's important to reinforce these basic disciplines and behavioural guidelines regularly through positive reinforcement, modeling, and consistent enforcement of consequences for negative behaviors. Providing opportunities for youth to practice and apply these disciplines and guidelines in real-life situations helps them internalize them and make them a part of their daily habits and attitudes.

Free play

Shanthi Maargam provides a free play area for the children at the youth centers. Creating a free play space at a youth center is a valuable resource for promoting physical activity, socialization, and creativity among youth. To make the free play space effective, Shanthi Maargam chooses age-appropriate equipment and materials, creates a welcoming environment, offers a variety of activities, encourages creativity, establishes clear rules and boundaries, ensures adequate supervision, and involves youth in planning. By implementing these strategies, youth were offered to enjoy a safe and fun environment that fosters positive habits, attitudes, and interactions.

Provision of Free Counselling Services

The free counselling services offered by Shanthi Maargam in uplifting the mental health of children and youth continued despite the changes in working capacities and other political and economic challenges. Our hotline has been and continues to operate from 8.00 AM to 10.00 PM every day. We offer first aid and psychological counseling over the phone and one on one counseling sessions (currently conducted online due to the prevailing situation) in Sinhala, Tamil, and English.

 The hotline counselling team attended 816 hotline calls, 212 tele-counselling sessions through the hotline, 155 1-on-1 online counselling sessions, and 25 new clients from November 2022 to February 2023.

 Internship Program

 The internship program commenced on the 1st of November 2022. The internship program was starting after almost two years, and everything was being prepared for it in the month of October. Conducted sessions on the introduction to Shanthi Maargm, our code of conduct, counselling roleplays, social media protocol, counselling handbook, sexual harassment policy, suicide prevention, HIV aids protocol, hotline protocol, and LGBTIQA+ protocol. The interns successfully organized and executed activities for the youth during the internship period.

 In December, the interns participated in internal and external training. These included Psychological First AID training, a visit to ADIC for alcohol and drug rehabilitation insight, sessions on Child Protection, Gender-Based Violence, Trauma & Counselling, Active listening, Ambiguous loss, Anxiety & Panic attack Protocol, and how to use Genograms in counselling. Alongside this, they continued their center activities, preparation for their Social Media content creation, counselling roleplays with mock clients and preparation for their final project.

 The internship program was completed in January. During this month they completed sessions on Ethical Conduct as a counsellor, Shanthi Maargam's Child Protection Policy, Self-Harm Prevention Protocol training, Drama Therapy, Mindfulness, Empowering and Strength Highlighting, Introduction to CBT, Counselling goal setting and problem-solving, Art Therapy, Domestic Violence Protocol, BPD and Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Persons with Disabilities, Self-Care, Professional Skills and completed their final project. As much as they grew, their contributions were a blessing to Shanthi Maargam during their stay as well. They will be missed dearly, and we believe that each of them will excel in everything they put their heart and mind to!

 The Helvetas Project - Youth Changemakers Circle

Helvetas projects to createSafe spaces for youth supporting emotional well-being, holistic learning, and intercultural harmony with a focus on the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) continued their activities from November.

Youth – Movement Based Therapy

Organized with the motive of providing “empowerment self-defense” training to 100 vulnerable, multi-ethnic youth/adolescents, coming from violence and conflict-affected communities, in order to equip them with the skills required to prevent, resist and escape violence/violent assaults, this event was conducted by Sensei Shehan De Silva: Certified Fitness, Nutrition, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and founder of “Insight Karate”.

Dansela and sermon

The objective of an activity was to create a sustainable change in the attitudes and behaviors of youth towards ethnicities different from their own by exposing them to religious and cultural events/practices. The Community Outreach Coordinator of Shanthi Maargam delivered an introduction emphasizing Buddhist philosophy's value of nonviolence and dhana, which foster social harmony and anti-racism. The chief monk of Gothami Viharaya gave a sermon on Buddhist teachings, emphasizing harmony, non-violence, and refraining from harming others. The event ended with a dansela segment where youth participants collaborated with Shanthi Maargam staff in giving away food to those in need.

Reflective Art Sessions

An activity was organized to provide therapeutic support to a group of vulnerable, multi-ethnic youth/adolescents to reflect on their emotions, identities, situations, and conflict resolution skills. Rayan Rebeira, a resource person with expertise in conceptualizing thoughts into visual form, and Shanthi Maargam's Counsellor and Hotline Coordinator, Chathuri Paranawithana, led the session. The activity began with a discussion on identifying positive and negative characteristics and expressing emotions and thoughts in a healthy manner. Participants then engaged in a reflective art activity to express their thoughts, reactions, and emotions using art as a medium of expression in one of two situations provided by the resource person.

Implementation of PEACE and PVE Manuals through Training and Capacity Building

This was conducted for the six PEACE manual modules and five PVE modules for the students who participated in the Helvetas program starting from November to February. The implementation of the PEACE/PVE  Manual through training and capacity building involved a structured training program for youth to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively apply the manual's principles in their lives. The training program comprises several stages, starting with an introduction to the manual's concepts and goals, followed by more in-depth sessions that cover topics such as conflict resolution, communication skills, and negotiation techniques. The training program for youth involved practical exercises, role-plays, and sessions on empathy and emotion management, enabling youth to apply conflict resolution skills in real-life scenarios. Participants had access to mentors and develop their own action plans to apply the manual's principles in their communities. The program aims to empower youth with essential skills and knowledge to promote peaceful behavior, foster positive relationships, and create a more harmonious society through the implementation of the PEACE Manual.

 Psychosocial Support Sessions (For emotional support, conflict resolution, and problem management skills)

The program provided psychosocial support sessions for underprivileged children of the community through various formats, including school workshops, focus group sessions, and one-on-one sessions from December to February. The goal of these sessions is to offer emotional support to children who may be experiencing stress, trauma, or other psychosocial challenges. During school workshops, children participated in group activities and discussions that helped them build coping skills, emotional regulation, and resilience. In focus group sessions, small groups of children received more personalized attention from trained facilitators who helped them work through specific challenges they may be facing. Finally, one-on-one sessions allowed children to receive individualized support from trained counselors who helped them work through more complex issues or challenges. Through these psychosocial support sessions, the program aimed to provide children with the tools and support they need to navigate their emotions and develop healthy coping mechanisms for the future.

 Promote holistic learning and intercultural harmony with the participation of role models

The objective was to encourage comprehensive education and cross-cultural understanding by involving influential figures. In the months of January and February, events featuring role models were arranged. The purpose of the event featuring role models is to promote holistic learning and intercultural harmony. The participation of role models helped inspire and motivate youth to develop positive values, attitudes, and behaviors, and broaden their perspectives on different cultures and lifestyles. By exposing underprivileged children to successful and influential figures from various backgrounds, this event helped foster a sense of hope, aspiration, and intercultural understanding, which can ultimately contribute to their personal growth and social well-being.

SVRI Project

In November, the advisory committee TOR was developed and identified suitable members.  Including an SVRI representative, 7 members representing child protection to the LGBTQ community have accepted our invitation. Additionally, our 2nd research committee meeting was held on 25.11.2022 to introduce new Co-PIs to the project’s research element and prepare for research phase 1 in Jan-Feb 2023. Also, the 3rd steering committee meeting was held on 25.11.2022. The project progress was updated and discussed the gamification element of the digital application, arranging phase 1 research activities.

As a part of digital tool development, 4 team meetings were held prior to the design thinking workshops. These were between the tech team and the Project Manager. Then between the counselling team and tech team which was coordinated by the Project Manager and another between CO-PI, the Project Manager, and the tech team. In addition to that, the counselling team recorded a mock art therapy session to support the tech team’s understanding at the request of the Project Manager after the meeting was held. after the above preparations, the project’s 1st design thinking workshop on counselling and hotline flow and basic wireframes was held on 25.11.2022 via zoom bringing the tech, counselling, and research team members together.

 In December, the first project progress review meeting with the SVRI (donor) was held on 06.12.2022 via zoom, and the Project Manager presented project updates. The team has received positive comments from the donor for making significant progress despite of the challenges in the current crisis situation in Sri Lanka. Also, the research team members met on 13.12.2022 to discuss content adaptation and gamification of PATHS and PARIVARTHAN and planned to provide inputs by Jan 2023 for the next design thinking phase.  A follow-up meeting between the tech team and the Project Manager was held to ensure inputs after the design thinking workshop on 14.12.2022. In addition to that, a blog post about the project was written by the Project Manager and published in the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Blog series on 16 Days Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Link:https://svri.org/blog/harnessing-power-technology-break-cycles-violence-against-women-and-violence-against-children

The highlighted event of January was hosting the first advisory committee meeting. It was held on 09.01.2023 with the participation of 7 committee members as below and 9 SM staff members. The meeting was chaired by Kamani Jinadasa. The project progress was presented and discussed next steps. The second highlight was receiving the ERC approval from the faculty of medical sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura for the phase 1 research with effect from 26.01.2023.

In February, along with CO-PI Vathsala and PM who are part of the research team of the project  conducted two focus group discussions (FGD) at the SM center. The first was with the staff members of Shanthi Maargam. It gathered information on how the pandemic has changed the behaviour of youth users, the impact of the current economic crisis, and the need to re-strategize SM center services for vulnerable youth. The second FGD was held with youth participants who have consented to be in the research from the Gothamipura area. The field-level coordination was supported by the SM center coordinator to reach out to suitable participants and obtained consent. They shared insights on their preferences for social media applications, safety concerns, ability to use it, usage of data, and their use to stay connected with their friends. Also, they shared how the pandemic has impacted their education. The objectives of this research were to gather and describe the experience of using technology during the Covid pandemic to assist SM services, changes in behaviour of youth, and the experience of working with vulnerable youth after the pandemic. The second is to capture the experience of the youth who use SM services during and after the pandemic, their knowledge and preferences of features in digital apps, and their awareness of user-driven safety concerns. The analyzed data will guide the designing process of the application making it a youth-informed design.

Employee Development

From November through January, training continued with bi-monthly supervision, peer supervision for the counselling team whereas hotline training and weekly supervision was conducted for hotline counsellors. Individual supervision was provided for counsellors in a biweekly basis.

An additional training was conducted by our Head of Counselling, Ammarah Ashraf on the 5Ps of formulation for the interns and counselling team in November.

Social Media

In December we posted highlights and pictures from our Christmas event with the youth and highlighted several events that took place throughout the month, including our event for parents with CIMA Spotlight, a session on GBV with Ardlay Mohamed, and Menusha's blog with SVRI. As the conversation around suicide and burnout dominated Sri Lankan online spaces, we reminded people about the danger of burnout and where to seek help. Finally, we commemorated Human Rights Day, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Christmas Day, and Tsunami Remembrance Day.

We began January 2023 with a New Year's post, reminding our audiences to allow themselves

time to embrace life changes and set achievable goals free of society's expectations. Throughout the month, for Mental Wellness Month, we posted wellness check-ins, reminding audiences to check in on their mental and physical health. We posted updates on centre activities, such as our very first scavenger hunt with the youth, and project milestones. Towards the end of the month, we posted a reminder about our toll-free hotline, considering the stream of disturbing incidences that were occurring around the country.

In February, posts commemorating the 75th Independence Day of Sri Lanka, call out for donations for the meal program taking place at Shanthi Maargam, and Hindu festival Mahashivarathri were posted. We had also posted updates of the internship program of their training sessions their final project, wrapping up the internship program. A post updating the beginning of the research phase of the SVRI project with a focused-group discussion conducted with the Shanthi Maargam team went out as well. We furthermore began a video series commencing from February. The videos for February was about identifying unhealthy signs of a relationship which as usual, went up on all three languages.

We have had an awareness post for Self Injury Awareness Day mentioning the vicious cycle of self-harm and reminding people to contact our toll-free hotline for any support they may require.