Many survivors carry the effects of trauma with them throughout their lives. This is precisely why SOS Children’s Villages considers it enormously important to pay attention to trauma-sensitive care. It is our top priority to create a safe place, with safe relationships between children and present, caring adults in childhood. “The need for understanding the impact of trauma and how to deal with it is paramount,” Meredith says.
“For all victims and survivors who were not believed or not heard, society can play an important role, offering recognition from a broader setting. Recognition can strengthen survivors and victims in their journey to recovery,” Meredith said. “With the artwork, SOS Children’s Villages also wants to create awareness and better social understanding around child trauma and its possible consequences. The more we bring this topic into the social space, the more likely the taboo will be broken. It can encourage both parents and children to dare to talk about what happens to them.”
“The creative workshops for the City Jewel in Brussels involve several steps,” said Meredith, who facilitates a workshop. “Participants turn their own story into drawings or designs. They then use those drawings and designs as the basis for making beads in workshops. These beads are then collected, treated and inventoried, giving each bead a title and reflecting the diversity of participants. Participants vary in age, gender and background, demonstrating that complex trauma is a widespread phenomenon,” Meredith stressed. “The City Jewel will represent this diversity and the impact of childhood trauma on individuals.”
Trauma-sensitive social approaches and the importance of knowledge transfer by experiencers are highlighted as crucial steps toward recovery and understanding. “To make society more trauma-sensitive, there is a need for more knowledge transfer about trauma and its impact on the brain, especially with complex trauma, where therapy is not enough to process it,” Meredith says. “Trauma traces remain for life. In addition, it is important that people dare to share their stories to raise awareness and create a sense of community among survivors. It is crucial that victims no longer remain isolated and are recognized as part of a larger group. A group that shares their experiences and highlights the impact of trauma on society. In addition to knowledge and expertise, the voice of the survivor is essential to building a trauma-sensitive society.”
