Maama Circles: Enfolding Parents And Caregivers
Written by: Anne C. Clarke, Programme Coordinator
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Exciting news! Maama Support Circles, our three-year pilot project focussed on providing peer support to Black women survivors or those at risk, continues to build momentum and to move into its final six months.
This Ottawa-based initiative has been running under the guidance of four Peer Support Facilitators. During the next six months, until March 31st 2025, we hope to strengthen and expand the circles. We are also discussing the effectiveness of the circles and how to sustain them. How useful was the pilot and did it do what it was intended to accomplish? If so, how can we sustain them once the pilot is complete? These are weighty questions.
A lot has happened over the past two years since the Maama Support Circles Pilot Project was launched with the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s “Family Innovations Stream” to support Parents, Guardians and Caregivers. Prior to setting up the circles, we:
- Established planning and administrative guidelines
- Conducted a Community Needs Assessment
- Created brochures about the project and conducted community outreach to encourage women to be trained as mentors
- Held community consultations to talk about the project
- Conducted community radio and community TV interviews to inform the Black Community about the project
Training for Mentors
In April 2023, seventeen (17) women participated in a one-day information session about the intent of the project. An overview of what the training would involve was also part of the day’s activities. Eight (8) women then chose to take the next step and participate in an intensive three (3) day training programme that delved into what is gender-based violence, its traumas and the short, medium and long-term impacts on the lives of those who have had the experience.
The group learnt how to create safe spaces for their circle participants and discussed the different types of leadership styles and the best ones to work with women in different stages of crisis. Other modules included anger solutions, including providing tools for change, which is very different from learning how to manage anger. The participants also spent time talking about the reality of women’s histories and how that history can inform their every day lives, especially if they are newcomers. They examined the idea that ‘relationships are an assignment’, meaning that inevitably, “your starting place is not your ending place,” because where you begin is not where you ultimately finish. Most importantly, the peer mentors discussed how to be good listeners as people share their journeys.
Discussions were in-depth, which was one of the key strategies for the training programme. This allowed the participants to share their stories, and for others to relate or add their own lived experiences.
Ultimately, the peer mentors worked towards developing the ability to listen, learn, and understand the women who may choose to be part of a circle. The peer mentors may have walked in the shoes of the women who come to the circles, and based on their experiences, they can help support these women navigate their present situations.
Services
The facilitators who guide the circles do not take the place of trained counsellors. Their role remains one of support, guidance, being a listening post, information gatherer and distributor. Guiding people to support services throughout the city and telling them where they are located is key to the success of the pilot project.
Liaison and Outreach
Built into the success of the programme is the role of an outreach support person. The outreach person listens and helps the facilitators resolve challenges; supports them in building their circles through sharing outreach strategies; and also conducts further outreach in different parts of the city to encourage more women to join the circles. This person is skilled in their knowledge of services, of Black Communities and can easily share information with community organisations.
Finally
Through this project, we have seen that there is a need for community-based, culturally appropriate supports for Black women survivors, and women at risk, and we will be looking for ways to sustain the circles in the future.
In the meantime, there is still time to become part of this very innovative pilot project. It’s flexible; it can be yoga based; it can be at a tea or coffee shop for an hour or just ten minutes. If you are interesting in joining as Peer Support Facilitator, or as a participant, please phone our Outreach Coordinator if you are interested at:
Contact: 613-355-4750 and have a confidential chat with her.
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