With the Aim of Empowering Their Role in Society
MECC Organizes a Health Awareness and PSS Training for Deaf and Mute Women
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, MECC, through its Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, organized a health awareness and psychological support (PSS) training for deaf and mute women in Damascus.
Twenty-four women participated in the training which focused on delivering information through sign language using simplified methods that take into account their specific needs.
After the training, the participants visited five families that include deaf and mute individuals, where they shared the useful information they had received.
This initiative falls within the framework of efforts to effectively integrate deaf and mute women into society and to empower them by expanding the circle of beneficiaries and spreading awareness in the community.
One of the participating women, aged 30, said: “this was the first time ever she had attended a health awareness and PSS training tailored for the deaf and mute.”
She added, “The training was very beneficial for me. I learned many important things for myself and my family. I was not previously informed about the raised health topics, and this is the first time I’ve learned about the most common diseases in the community and how to prevent them. I learned about hypertension and realized I have most of its symptoms, though I had never visited a doctor before. I used to neglect my health, but after becoming more aware, I consulted a doctor, and now I’m taking the necessary medication to maintain healthy blood pressure.”
Another participant, aged 34, emphasized how helpful the PSS sessions were for her. She said: “I am mentally exhausted, and the PSS sessions helped relieve some of this burden. I learned that I need to make time for rest, not to overthink the problems I face, and that it’s better not to get angry or upset about things I can’t change or control. I also realized that I need to move past the memories of bad experiences, like my divorce, which still makes me very sad.”
At the end of the activity, participants, as well as the families they visited, received in-kind assistance. This included medication based on their, a hygiene kit, and two food baskets.
