The level of human suffering in Gulu is overwhelming, and each story is more tragic than the next. The consequences of leaving sufferers without support can be disastrous. The rising rate of suicide in Gulu is one indication of the sad reality. The process of healing is a long undertaking. It cannot be resolved in one visit by a counselor nor by a single program. We are committed to delivering to our Ugandan clients the support they need, but our limited resources prevent us from reaching everyone who needs our help.
Through our newly established peer volunteers program, we hope to reach more of those who need it in time. We have identified 15 individuals from our eight women’s groups to whom we will provide basic training in identifying people in their community who are suffering, delivering necessary counseling and referring individuals to THRIVE’s programs.
The goal is to provide a first-response to urgent needs in the many rural communities around Gulu. It is still too early into the pilot project to measure its impact, but the peer counselors have been well received by their communities.
