Health
Considering the mental, physical, and spiritual health needs of the widows, Nyanam has focused on projects that provide mental health support through group and individual counseling as well as programs offering nutrition education and HIV/AIDS prevention. Nyanam has two professional counselors on our team who lead group counseling sessions weekly or bi-weekly with the widows’ leadership circles. These counselors have worked with Nyanam for several years in group counseling settings and are familiar with widows’ unique experiences and needs. Counseling in a group setting helps the widows foster community, understanding, and support regarding the commonalities of struggle they face. Nyanam also provides individual counseling sessions for widows which supports and addresses each widows’ nuanced situation and unique set of challenges, as well as mental health workshops with specific themes at the request of the widows.
Why mental, physical, and spiritual needs?
The four main categories of challenges widows face that Nyanam has identified are physical, mental, social, and health care access (2020 Nyanam Literature Review). HIV/AIDS and general fatigue including general physical pain, trouble sleeping, or lack of energy/appetite were the most commonly reported physical health problems for widows. The mental health of widows was riddled with negative effects of grief and bereavement, or other consequences related to loss, depression and anxiety. Widows also experienced gender-based violence including harmful widowhood rituals, rape, and abuse and stigma experienced by widows and children regarding widowhood, HIV status, or single motherhood. Their main barrier to accessing healthcare concerned high cost of healthcare.
Group and Individual Counseling
Our group counseling sessions are led by professional counselors who engage with each of the 12 leadership circles monthly. The widows have also expressed a need for individual counseling which led to the creation of individualized mental health support sessions.
Mental Health Workshops
At the request of the widows, Nyanam has led mental health workshops in partnership with organizations including Woman in the Window which utilize spiritual and communal connections to address specific challenges the widows face.