A project aimed at Syrian refugees and other Arabic-speaking women of Guelph wrapped up four week of empowerment, advice and support Tuesday.
The Women’s Wellness Project provided practical support and advice for the women that participated, but just as importantly, it offered a safe and comfortable place to talk.
“What the women love the most is the opportunity to socialize and share their experiences,” said Bayan Khatib, who organized the project for the Al-Qazzaz Foundation for Education and Development, an Ontario non-government organization that runs programs for disadvantaged communities aimed at giving back to the community.
“In the pilot project we tried having the whole family there, but we found that the women were not saying very much. There’s a big difference now in how much they are willing to share and open up.”
The course, which was delivered in Arabic, consisted of three components: healthy living advice on eating right, nutrition, how to shop at the grocery store and exercising, a yoga session and a mental illness first aid kit that provided self-care tips as well as advice on how to deal with traumatized children.
“A lot of these newcomers are coming from a war zone where they experienced horrendous things,” said Khatib.
The program was run in collaboration with the Arab Community Centre of Toronto who provided the support of Lodi Awad, a counsellor, and the Rexdale Women's Centre who also provided the support of a counsellor, Dr. Hana El-Fiki.
Khatib said they have run programs in other locations and were contacted by someone in Guelph asking for one here, given the high number of Syrian refugee families that have settled here.
Guelph Immigrant Services offered free space to hold the sessions.
Most of the women attending were Syrian refugees but not all.
Shaimaa Abdelmegid came to Guelph five years ago to complete her PhD studies. She heard about the program through a friend.
“We have something in common and it’s all about the communication,” Abdelmegid said.
“It’s about trying to help newcomers cope and deal with the stress they are being exposed to, but it’s really good to expand the topic into more general ideas that can benefit each woman.
“We might be from different cutures, but we have the same humanity.”
Aseel Zayegh came to Guelph as a refugee from Syria.
“It was really good. The interaction between the ladies and the experts were really helpful to make you feel more welcome and that you’re not alone. We all go through this,” said Zayagh.
She said that was the big part, knowing that there are others going through the same things she was.
“You come here and you share. Everyone has their difficulties and maybe you’re going through the same things,” Zayagh said.
Having a common background and a common language makes it a very positive experienced, both Zayagh and Abdelmegid said.
“We talk about the history of what’s happened and how to overcome it and the symptoms they have with kids who have been through a lot,” Zayagh said.
There is the chance the program will continue on a twice monthly basis, both to offer more advice but also to be a safe place the women can continue to talk and exchange ideas.
“The ladies said ‘we don’t want to stop, we love having this sharing space',” Khatib said.
