Loss and Grief

Siyaphila—meaning, ‘we are well’

Hilary McLea is running support groups for women looking to address issues of loss and trauma they deal with in townships around Cape Town. Women who pour themselves into caring for others are offered few opportunities to care for themselves.

This way of offering psychosocial support was piloted in 2010 and started formally in March 2011. The groups are based in churches but are offered to any women in the local community who feel they would benefit from such an experience. Word of mouth invitations are extended to potential attendees and there is no formal recruitment process. Resiliance, meaning reconstruction, working with a reasonable hope, and use of the therapeutic narratives of women’s lives are part of the program.

It is still in the early days of innovation and development, but there is a great need for support for those in continuous trauma who are supporting others on a daily basis.