Your safe space for mental wellness, healing, and open conversations.
The Healing Hub is a live radio program dedicated to promoting mental health awareness, emotional well-being, and community support. Produced by Carefronting Nigeria with the support of Kids Cottage Montessori and Early Learning Center, our show has been transforming lives for over three years—and we’re just getting started!
Airing every Friday at 6:30 PM WAT on Invicta FM 98.9 Kaduna, The Healing Hub has become a trusted platform for expert insights, personal sharing, and real conversations that confronts the myths and stigmas surrounding mental health.
Whether you’re seeking guidance, looking for a supportive community, or just curious about mental wellness, this is the place for you.
Join us every week as we explore mental health topics that matter, featuring experts, advocates, and everyday people sharing their journeys.
Together, we can create a world where mental well-being is prioritized and supported.
Tune in every Friday at 6:30 PM WAT on Invicta FM 98.9 Kaduna!
Follow us for updates, insights, and community discussions.
#TheHealingHub #MentalHealthAwareness #CarefrontingNigeria #KidsCottageMontessori #EndTheStigma #InvictaFM #HealingStartsHere
Listen to our episodes here
“Know Yourself, Grow Yourself – Building Emotional Resilience in Children.
]]>Equal Access International (EAI) sub granted Carefronting Nigeria to conduct Trauma Consciousness and Resilience workshops as part of the Securing Nigerian Communities (SNC) project in April 2024, aimed at equipping local leaders with essential trauma-informed skills to foster resilience and stability within Nigerian communities.
The workshops covered trauma topics aimed at enabling participants to understand trauma, deliver trauma-informed care, and provide support to individuals of varying ages and backgrounds.
Participants engaged in interactive sessions led by expert facilitators, focusing on trauma effects, counselling approaches, self-care, and secondary trauma management. Emphasis was placed on building support networks, cultural sensitivity, and sustainable community impact. Additionally, participants were trained to establish community listening centres and manage support groups, ultimately enhancing their communities’ capacity for healing and resilience.
This initiative is a proactive step toward addressing trauma in Nigeria, combining security with mental health support to promote long-term peace and well-being.
This trauma resilience workshop underscores the critical importance of providing trauma-informed support in communities affected by crisis and conflict. By equipping local leaders with practical tools and a compassionate understanding of trauma, Carefronting Nigeria, in collaboration with Equal Access International, has taken a step towards building stronger, more resilient communities.
These workshops not only foster personal healing but also promote reconciliation and peace, as demonstrated by participants’ commitment and renewed connections. Carefronting Nigeria is deeply grateful to Equal Access International for their partnership in delivering such impactful training. With each initiative, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting Nigerian communities through trauma healing, psychosocial support, and sustainable peace-building efforts.
]]>Carefronting Nigeria in collaboration with Equal Access International (EAI) conducted a series of workshops on Psychosocial First Aid across four states in Nigeria; Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and Benue. The workshops provided foundational and advanced training for counsellors from various Local Government Areas (LGAs), aiming to equip them with essential tools for effective trauma support.
In Benue State, participants were drawn from Agatu, Guma, and Gwer-West LGAs, while for Kaduna the participants were from Jemaá, Kajuru and Chikun LGAs. Gezawa, Nasarawa and Ungogo in Kano and Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South LGAs in Plateau State. This training were components of the Securing Nigerian Communities (SNC) project, which EAI lead to empower communities through initiatives like Community Accountability Forums, Women and Youth Peace Builders, and Early Warning Systems.
The workshops aimed to equip participants with psychosocial first aid skills, trauma counselling techniques, and the foundational knowledge needed for community support. A major focus was on establishing community listening centres, creating safe spaces, and forming support groups. Participants were trained in active listening and effective communication, with an emphasis on empowering them to meet the emotional needs of distressed persons in their communities.
The workshop has proven to be an invaluable experience for the participants, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide vital psychosocial support in their communities. At Carefronting Nigeria, we understand the significance of such initiatives in addressing trauma and emotional distress, and we are proud to be part of a collaboration that has empowered individuals to make a lasting impact. We are deeply grateful to EAI for their partnership in delivering this workshop, and we look forward to continuing our shared mission of supporting vulnerable communities across the country.
]]>
Date: November 19
Theme: Positive Male Role Models
International Men’s Day (IMD) is a globally recognised awareness event celebrated annually in over 80 countries, including the UK, USA, Australia, and India. First established in 1992 by Trinidadian scholar Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, the day is dedicated to celebrating men’s achievements and contributions while addressing critical issues that affect them.
The day focuses on six core pillars:
- Highlighting discrimination against men.
- Supporting male health issues.
- Improving gender relations and promoting gender equality.
- Celebrating male contributions to society.
- Promoting positive male role models.
- Creating a safer, more inclusive world.
Purpose and Significance
IMD serves as a platform to:
- Foster open conversations about men’s mental health, shorter life expectancy, and workplace deaths.
- Raise awareness of male victims of violence, including sexual violence.
- Address challenges faced by fathers, particularly new and separated fathers.
- Encourage men to embrace positive masculinity, rejecting toxic stereotypes while acknowledging their sacrifices in both peacetime and wartime.
The 2024 theme, Positive Male Role Models, emphasises the importance of role models in shaping identity, teaching young men that masculinity can be a force for good. The day encourages men to be role models themselves by making positive contributions to society and nurturing supportive environments.
Why It Matters
By celebrating men’s diversity and achievements, IMD aims to challenge stereotypes, promote gender equality, and inspire selfless acts of courage and service. The event encourages people to come together in support of men and boys, fostering a culture of dialogue and understanding
How to Help Young Boys Find Positive Male Role Models
Positive male role models significantly influence young boys by shaping their values, behaviours, and outlook on life. Here are some practical ways to guide them:
- Identify Exemplary Figures: Look for men in the community, family, or public sphere who exhibit qualities like integrity, compassion, and dedication.
- Encourage Emotional Expression: Highlight role models who embrace emotional authenticity, showing that it’s okay to express both positive and negative emotions without adhering to gender stereotypes.
- Challenge Gender Norms: Expose boys to men who challenge traditional stereotypes, such as sharing household responsibilities or supporting gender equality.
- Promote Holistic Self-Care: Introduce role models who prioritise self-care and healthy living, demonstrating that caring for oneself enables better care for others.
- Support Community Engagement: Encourage boys to admire and emulate men who actively contribute to their communities through volunteering or supporting local initiatives.
How to Be a Positive Male Role Model
Being a role model doesn’t mean being perfect—it means striving to embody qualities that inspire and guide young boys toward positive development.
Core Traits of a Positive Role Model
- Integrity and Respect: Lead by example with honesty, fairness, and compassion. Show respect for others, regardless of their background or beliefs.
- Emotional Vulnerability: Be comfortable expressing emotions openly and encourage boys to do the same. Demonstrate that strength includes emotional authenticity.
- Active Listening: Practice listening attentively and empathetically. Be approachable and willing to ask questions or admit mistakes.
- Commitment to Values: Display loyalty, strong ethics, and accountability. Help boys understand the importance of living by their values.
Actions to Inspire Positive Growth
- Challenge Stereotypes: Actively challenge toxic masculinity by being assertive without aggression and encouraging equitable partnerships in the home.
- Model Respect for Women: Teach boys the importance of respecting women and fostering healthy, supportive relationships.
- Teach Life Skills: Help boys develop a strong work ethic, financial literacy, and resilience by emphasising the value of hard work, responsibility, and learning from failures.
- Promote Selflessness and Community Support: Dedicate time to causes you care about, fostering a safe and thriving environment for everyone.
- Encourage Emotional and Mental Growth: Support boys in expressing feelings instead of bottling them up. Show them how to learn from setbacks and grow as individuals.
Impact on Future Generations
When boys see men engaging as full partners in household care, they’re more likely to adopt similar behaviours, promoting gender equality. Research also suggests that daughters of men involved in domestic tasks are more likely to pursue careers beyond traditional gender roles.
Conclusion
Being a positive male role model means living with integrity, embracing emotional openness, and challenging stereotypes. Through compassion, community involvement, and dedication to values, role models can inspire young boys to grow into well-rounded, respectful individuals who contribute positively to society.
References
Home – International Men’s Day
International Men’s Day: 5 Facts You Need to Know About Notable Occasion – Legit.ng
When is International Men’s Day and why do we need it? | UK Style-Yahoo
Male Role Models: A Complete Guide on Positive Role Models for Men | Mens Group
14 Ways to Be a Role Model – wikiHow
Be A Positive Male Role Model And Mentor For Boys – Sharpologist
]]>
Key Takeaways from the Workshop:
– Psychosocial Support: Essential for SGBV survivors, especially young girls in schools.
– Education Sector: Critical in understanding and implementing psychosocial support.
– Collaboration: Bauchi State Ministry of Justice and CAREFRONTING Nigeria working together to strengthen support for SGBV survivors.
Importance of Psychosocial Support:
Research shows that social support can help buffer some of the stress caused by sexual trauma. This support can come from various sources, including:
– Family and Friends: Emotional and physical comfort.
– Counselors and Professionals: Trained to provide psychosocial support.
– Community-Based Services: Linking survivors to available resources.
By prioritizing psychosocial support, we can create a safer and more supportive environment for SGBV survivors to heal and thrive.
Related Articles
Bauchi Commissioner, others stress importance of psychosocial support for SGBV survivors
Carefronting Nigeria in collaboration with Peacetech Lab trained 25 participants from various Civil Society Organizations, Media, Security agencies and well meaning youths on STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION- COUNTERING HATE AND DANGEROUS SPEECH. The training was conducted on 24th January 2023.
Carefronting Nigeria in collaboration with Peacetech Lab has admonished Nigerians to shun hate speech and divisive comments ahead of the forthcoming general election. The Programme manager, Carefronting Nigeria, Tessy Gusim, made the call yesterday in Kaduna at the “Training and Workshop on Strategic Communication- Countering Hate and Dangerous Speech” of stakeholders in Kaduna State. She advised Nigerians to shun hatred and inciting statements that could lead to violence in the country. The country director, Equal Access International, Dr Maji Peterx, urged the stakeholders to create relationships instead of violence. “We expect the participants to be media literate, to also have respect for one another. We should all be cautious of what we say, how we say them and who we target with what we say because it could lead to a more devastating situation,” he added. He said hate speech poses danger to the unity and stability of the country, adding that it can lead to acts of violence and conflict which can also lead to genocide.
“Hate speech, for whatever reason, covers many forms of expression but all incite, promote or justify hatred, violence and discrimination against an individual or group of people. We should all say no to hate speech,” he said.
The need to be cautious of what we say and post on social media is paramount especially during the election period, knowing fully well that the internet never forgets, elections come and go but the relationships built or broken, impressions left in the hearts of people will remain.
One of the participants, Anita Nchat from Amina Dyslexia Centre thanked Carefronting Nigeria for the opportunity, adding that there is need to continue the process.
Related Articles
]]>
Carefronting Nigeria_ Hilfe für Trauma-Opfer _ Afrika _ DW _ 14.07
]]>
The Healing Hub, a radio trauma counselling phone-in programme airing on Invicta 98.9 FM Kaduna every Friday beginning January 2022, is a production of Carefronting Nigeria as a program of the Partnership For Peace Project (P4P) with funding support from LEGASI/Peace Direct .The programme comes on air every Friday from 6:30 -7:00 pm.
The Healing Hub was designed to address the gap in most peacebuilding interventions. Most practitioners do not integrate Trauma Education, Trauma Consciousness and building Resiliency in projects. Trauma affects us in more ways than we can easily notice and it further creates deeper psychological and emotional issues for victims and their social structures. When communities experience mass atrocities like we are having now in the north west, it becomes traumagenic and when interventions don’t address the trauma, the people have a higher tendency of craving vengeance, grudge, oiling the cycle of violence and manifesting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in later life.
GRIEF, LOSS AND MOURNING
When loss has to do with bereavement people don’t recover easily. Grief is the strongest point to deal with compared to loss and mourning. Mourning is a cultural thing, it is the way we manifest our grief and it is different across various cultures. Because of its significance when people are able to mourn it helps them with closure, acceptance and healing over their loss. The shock that comes with grief sometimes numbs people especially when you are hopeful of their recovery. Irrespective of how people are prepared for the loss it does not take away the shock, pain and effects it brings with it. Grieving is as personalised as persons fingerprint so it varies from person to person. Mourning is usually associated with our faith, tradition, culture or environment. Some scrape their hair, don’t take their bath, cultural dances but most importantly when people are able to mourn their dead it makes it easier for them to move on.
]]>
Carefronting Nigeria developed content, designed and facilitated training workshops for PLAN Staff and partners and 10 communities selected from 5 local government areas of Yobe state in August and carried out project monitoring in November, 2020..
PLAN International (Nigeria) is implementing a project aimed at restoring peaceful coexistence and social cohesion of the population affected by the conflict in the Lake Chad Basin. The project state in Nigeria is Yobe in the north east focusing on 5 Local Government Areas ( Damaturu, Busari, Yusufari, Fune and Nguru), in the state and 10 communities (Maisandari and Mairi in Damaturu LGA, Dapchi and Masaba in Busari LGA, Tulotulo and Guya in Yusufari LGA, Mashio and Dogon Kuka in Fune LGA and Dabule and Dumsai in Nguru LGA). The project has the objective to promote social cohesion through the rehabilitation of social infrastructure and the integration of IDPs and refugees.
The project is being implemented by Plan International, Nigeria in collaboration with the Yobe State Ministry of Health, Yobe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, local CSO partners and other relevant stakeholders with funding from BMZ.
The Social Cohesion Component of the project seeks to strengthen existing community conflict resolution structures in each community, where there is hone; the project will support the communities to set a structure and own it. These communities will be responsible for resolving day to day conflict at local level through Interest Based Negotiation and Mediation, dialogue facilitation, peace campaigns, advocacies etc.
12 participants were selected from each community and 150 in all were trained (including 30 PLAN staff and partners) in a series of 5 workshops organized in Damaturu and Gashua, the participants were trained by Carefronting Nigeria in Understanding Conflict, Conflict Analysis, Strategic Communication, Listening Skills, Community Cohesion, Mediation, Restorative Justice, Early Warning Early Response Mechanism and Community Conflict Resolution System amongst others.
The participants from the communities were quite diverse cutting across every strata of the communities, with keen interest in ensuring inclusivity covering gender and age thus youths, elders, community leaders, men, women and other social groups and community structures were represented. The workshops apart from the PLAN staff and partners group was conducted in Hausa as most of the participants are from rural communities and most of them don’t understand or speak English enough for the training to be in English.
The participants were quite enthusiastic and really motivated to support and sustain their community conflict resolution architecture. The feedback at the end of each workshop was very positive and they confirmed how helpful the workshop has been and how better informed they all feel for the tasks ahead.
They all worked together to develop their Plan Of Action (POA), that will enable them kick off activities on return to their various communities. The groups were all committed to step down the training for other members of the Community Conflict Resolution Committee that were not selected to participate in the training and to go on advocacy to reach out to community and religious leaders and other stakeholders in the communities.
]]>
Carefronting Nigeria facilitated a two phase (3rd – 5th February and 5th – 6th September, 2020) training workshop for the Resource Team in SELL Foundation and the Volunteers.
Since the workshop is happening in the time of the Covid 19 pandemic, we have to observe the safety protocol as instructed by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) thus we regularly check the temperature of all, ensure the use of face masks, regular use of hand sanitizers, ensuring adequate ventilation and well spaced sitting arrangement etc.
The workshop sessions started with ground rules and expectations, then followed with exercises to build confidence and safe space and to enable participants to be present in the space for the workshop and to bond, this is to create an atmosphere for such workshops with tendency to be very emotional.
The workshop explored Trauma, Long and Short term impact of trauma, Counseling focusing on Therapeutic Counseling and spent a lot of time on Case Management and Consultation.
The case management sessions concentrated on areas of cases they handle mostly in the field thus the selected case studies were Relationship Issues, Domestic Violence, Rape, Alcoholism/Substance Abuse, Death and Bereavement.
]]>