As the spring equinox approaches and the season of rebirth begins, we find ourselves reflecting on the challenges and hardships of the past year. The Persian New Year is a time for renewal and hope, and for us at OMID, it is important to remember that even in the midst of struggle, there is always the potential for growth and resilience. As a trauma informed and trauma responsive nonprofit organization with the mission of helping marginalized girls and young women aged 15-25, in Iran and Afghanistan, our work is instrumental as young women and communities navigate the chronic toxic stress and instability that is felt not only in Iran and Afghanistan, but on a global scale; and as we move forward, it is crucial to focus on connection, empowerment and building resiliency. This can be achieved through fostering a sense of community, promoting self-care and mindfulness practices, and encouraging individuals to find meaning and purpose in their lives, even in the midst of chaos. With these factors in place, we can continue the work of OMID, to empower the young women of Iran and Afghanistan, to not only survive but thrive in the face of adversity.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our supporters for their dedication and contributions to our mission of transforming the lives of marginalized young women from Iran and Afghanistan. We recognize that the challenges faced by these young women are complex and multifaceted, often stemming from experiences of trauma and systemic oppression, and we are committed to providing trauma-informed and trauma responsive programs through trained facilitators, therapists and teachers. Through our programs we strive to empower young women and promote regulation, resilience, psycho-social, emotional, educational, and professional skills necessary to thrive in today’s world.
With the turmoils and upheavals in both Iran and Afghanistan taking the traumas experienced by women in both countries to new heights, OMID’s expertise in helping women to overcome their traumas is more important than ever. This expertise is the result of ongoing training of our staff and must continue in order to always be at the cutting edge of trauma healing. Our staff training in the new year will involve collaborations with top international practitioners to train 12 of our facilitators to run:
Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model (TREM) group workshops, an intervention for women who survived trauma and have mental health management needs, teaching them skills and strategies for self-comfort and accurate self-monitoring.
Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM) programs, a trauma treatment model that focuses on the neurobiological roots of trauma, designed to help those who experience traumatic experiences by connecting the healthiest parts of the person to their most primitive aspects. The goal is to neutralize the intolerable instances that occur when trauma resurfaces and replace them with healthy, positive effects that are now separate from the traumatic past.
Please contribute to our Nowruz campaign. The average cost of training one facilitator for each of these programs is $425, which means that we need to raise $10,200 in order for all 12 facilitators to receive both trainings. It is only with your support that we can proceed with these trainings and insure that our staff maintain their state of the art trauma healing competencies.