Monrovia – medica -Liberia, Ministry of Gender, Kids and Social Safety, in partnership with Plan Worldwide and different stakeholders, concluded a five-day SASA! coaching in Montserrado County beneath the Liberia Girls Empowerment Challenge. The initiative seeks to fight gender-based violence and shift dangerous social norms via community-driven motion.
Greater than 66 individuals—together with neighborhood leaders and activists from rural Montserrado—are attending the coaching. This system dedicates two days to the SASA! setup information, adopted by three days on the “Begin” section, the inspiration of the mannequin.
SASA!—a Swahili phrase that means “Now,” and an acronym for Begin, Consciousness, Help, Motion—was developed in Uganda as a confirmed methodology to deal with energy imbalances, cut back violence, and promote equality.
Individuals are being geared up with sensible methods for native activism, management engagement, and institutional help to assist combine anti-violence measures into neighborhood constructions.
“That is the beginning section of the undertaking, the place individuals are reflecting on how they use their very own energy—positively or negatively,” defined one of many nationwide grasp trainers. “Many are realizing that violence isn’t ‘regular’ however rooted in unequal energy dynamics.”
The SASA! mannequin is structured in 4 phases:
Begin Part – constructing self-reflection and private consciousness of energy.
Consciousness Part – highlighting the affect of violence in communities.
Help Part – mobilizing households and neighbors to forestall abuse.
Motion Part – inspiring collective community-led options to finish violence.
Facilitators emphasised that whereas change will take time, the coaching gives a powerful basis for lasting transformation. Over the following six to eight months, individuals are anticipated to arrange neighborhood actions and doc their progress.
“We don’t count on in a single day outcomes, however this course of empowers activists and leaders to begin shifting dangerous norms,” a facilitator mentioned. “Safer households imply more healthy relationships, extra monetary stability, and higher alternatives for youngsters.”
Individuals expressed gratitude to medica Liberia and its companions for the chance, describing the coaching as a milestone of their work in opposition to violence. They pledged to function ambassadors of their communities to foster significant change.
This system underscores the federal government’s broader dedication to strengthening collaboration amongst communities, households, and establishments in constructing safer, extra peaceable societies throughout Liberia.
