Trauma-Relief Programs

Childcare is not only a space where kids can play, learn and grow. It is also crucial for mothers who need someone to look after their children when they want to engage in the center’s activities.

Calligraphy is an ancient art form with a lot of tradition in the Middle East and beyond. Read how CRP’s recently implemented Calligraphy program helps beneficiaries to calm down, express themselves creatively and learn a valuable new skill all at the same time. . .

Staff training’s are an important part of CRP’s work ethic. They are held every couple of months with different topics including culture and education. A good way to address the whole of CRP’s staff all at once—to underline the importance of the topic—these trainings are conducted bilingually if needed. “As CRP grows, it’s important that […]

Domestic and gender-based violence is a serious problem amongst families in displacement. A new bookchapter by our board president Melinda Wells and consultant Suhail Abualsameed explores root causes and strategies CRP is persuing to help our community fight against it.

“In Syria, I owned stores, I had six cars, I held millions with this hand,” remembers Hashem. “Now it’s all gone. And we became refugees.”

CRP offers Zumba as an exercise class for women who are looking to maintain their physical health or let off steam. Drawing from the rhythms of salsa, hip hop, ballroom, and other dance styles and techniques, Zumba is part cardio workout and part creative expression.

Keystone’s atmosphere is cheerful and fulfilling, raising the men’s self-esteem and also expanding their awareness about many topics—which helps them acclimate to the difficult nature of being a refugee.

By offering GBV groups specifically for men and teenage boys, CRP works to prevent further instances of gender-based violence towards women through community building and education.

Chair yoga involves various movements and stretches, all from a seated position. The class was designed for refugees who have experienced trauma.

CRP’s class on the mind and body has been a success, giving refugees a base upon which they can talk and heal from their traumas. Calming their mind, relaxing their body, the class had been an important asset for its members.

We first developed our GBV course after hearing that many men in the community felt depressed or angry due to their inability to legally work in Jordan and unstable financial situation. This was leading to more fighting at home.

Every year Claire, a professional yoga instructor from Ireland, comes to CRP to help train instructors in trauma-sensitive yoga and hold classes and give guidance to participants.

CRP has added a Zumba class to its programming! Led by a professional fitness trainer, Zumba is a latin music-based, dance-aerobics routine. The class has quickly become a popular program among women of all ages at CRP.

Ruba tells us how excited she is each Saturday afternoon to head to Women’s Art Club at CRP and express her creativity through painting.

CRP’s Men’s Group resembles any other ordinary counseling session you might come across in the U.S. However, what isn’t ordinary, are the stories these men come to get off their chest.

On Sundays, women from our community gather at CRP for an hour and practice art. Sara, the volunteer art instructor, plays Fairouz and brings treats.

CRP offers an acupressure program to help our beneficiaries cope with stress. Many of the refugees who come to CRP’s activities have been affected by trauma, and all have been affected by loss and by separation from loved ones.

At CRP, we believe in the potential for the positive impact of psychosocial support programs on health and wellness, and have seen the impact these programs can have on stress-management skills.

“We’ve found people so receptive to yoga. Right from the start, people would turn up, and interestingly for me, the men’s classes are more attended than the women’s.”

On Sunday, January 29, we held the first session of our new arts workshop, which aims to encourage emotional expression through creativity.

Gender-based violence (GBV) prevention has always been one of Collateral Repair Project’s (CRP) priorities and GBV workshops have been one of our longstanding programs.

This May, we concluded the first round of training for CRP’s Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Human Rights Awareness project funded by The Embassy of the Netherlands, Jordan.

CRP has been conducting yoga classes for two and a half years with great success, both for women and men.  Recently, we have also added a children’s class due to the popularity among our beneficiaries.

The first weeks of January marked the kick off of Keystone—a men’s exercise class that has taken the CRP center by storm.

For one week in December, community members were trained on the benefits of acupressure and acupuncture.

While gender-based violence is so often swept under the carpet, its survivors shamed and stigmatized, its importance dismissed as ‘merely’ a ‘women’s issue,’ it is being put center stage in CRP.

In recent months, we have expanded our psychosocial programming to include Trauma Release Exercises — a gentle practice that consists of light tremors or shaking in the body that is done in a prone position.

For the past few weeks, CRP has been hosting a weekly men’s support group for several men in the community. The men sit together in a circle and have the opportunity to share the daily challenges they face.

This past month, CRP hosted Bella Hancock, an experienced yoga instructor from Ireland, to help us set up an ongoing yoga program for adults and youth. During the entire month, Bella led intensive yoga workshops.

CRP’s yoga program strives to address the psychosocial issues of refugees and provide them with a tight-knit and welcoming community.

This month, we are hosting an experienced yoga instructor who is leading intensive yoga workshops for men, women, teens, and children to address psychosocial issues and promote mindfulness and wellness.