Scrambled Eggs
Dear Readers,
I have been in the Philippine Islands (PI) the last week, feeding my soul and taking a break from the intensity in Taiwan. It is important to practice and model the ideas of balance, self-care, and humane work practices that we promote to folks living at the VMWBO shelter. These are basic human rights every person deserves. Survivors of human trafficking are used to working to the point of exhaustion and receiving short 5-10 minute eating breaks, where they suck down the tiny meals they are given. Digestive issues and kidney stones are common phyisical complications. Therefore, as a shelter resident/worker, I still honor my rest time. Survivors observe me working very hard, but also witness me applying boundaries and limits to my work habits. I take intentional breaks, excercise, and make time to relax and just 'be' with folks. Good work performance is married to a happy, wholesome lifestyle. It is a human right to be happy and content.
My co-worker, Hope, and I have been jarred by over 15 cases of possible HTing in the PI while walking along the sandy white beaches. White men who look to be in their 40s courting very youthful looking girls. In my disgust I have spoken both incredulously and loudly while passing them such phrases as "are you serious?!?" and "what's that old man doing with a 17 yr old?" I didn't want to get banned from the beach, but I could not be silent. Those men should feel shame for exploiting Filipinas struggling to survive poverty. These men serve a critical role in the perpetuation of modern-day slavery; they provide a demand for which a supply is then created.
I spotted this man in the water with a Filipina who looked to be about 15 or 16.
I have been in the Philippine Islands (PI) the last week, feeding my soul and taking a break from the intensity in Taiwan. It is important to practice and model the ideas of balance, self-care, and humane work practices that we promote to folks living at the VMWBO shelter. These are basic human rights every person deserves. Survivors of human trafficking are used to working to the point of exhaustion and receiving short 5-10 minute eating breaks, where they suck down the tiny meals they are given. Digestive issues and kidney stones are common phyisical complications. Therefore, as a shelter resident/worker, I still honor my rest time. Survivors observe me working very hard, but also witness me applying boundaries and limits to my work habits. I take intentional breaks, excercise, and make time to relax and just 'be' with folks. Good work performance is married to a happy, wholesome lifestyle. It is a human right to be happy and content.
My co-worker, Hope, and I have been jarred by over 15 cases of possible HTing in the PI while walking along the sandy white beaches. White men who look to be in their 40s courting very youthful looking girls. In my disgust I have spoken both incredulously and loudly while passing them such phrases as "are you serious?!?" and "what's that old man doing with a 17 yr old?" I didn't want to get banned from the beach, but I could not be silent. Those men should feel shame for exploiting Filipinas struggling to survive poverty. These men serve a critical role in the perpetuation of modern-day slavery; they provide a demand for which a supply is then created.
I spotted this man in the water with a Filipina who looked to be about 15 or 16.
Noticing me photographing him, he hid his face like a coward.
***************
H1N1 has been in the detention centers for 2 weeks. We can't go in due to exposure and safety regulations. Hope and I were disappointed, because the 1-2 hours the 130 men and women spend with us each week is the only time they get to leave their cells for recreation. This is the only time they get to be treated with humanity and dignity all week. We have prepared another hip hop dance routine to teach them, but it will have to wait. There will be joy in the DCs again soon.
***************
I have been offering one-on-one counseling and support services for sexual abuse cases survivors experiencing depression, PTSD, dysthymia, and substance abuse. Additionally, I facilitate two support groups, which every resident at the shelter is invited to attend. They are separated by gender to provide culturally-appropriate safe spaces for people to discuss topics they are currently facing. Support is gained by practicing self-care techniques such as deep breathing and meditation. Also, playing games like emotional charades helps them develop 'emotional vocabularies' to express themselves when processing their stories of traumas.
It is thrilling to be witness to the communities of support that the women and men are learning to create for themselves. Discussions in support groups opens their worlds up to other ways of living. It assists them in accessing internal revenues of resources, meanwhile giving me the opportunity to praise and honor them for their perseverance. Most of them have never received positive reinforcement, an unfortunate stereotype of VNese culture. The women especially make negative remarks about their bodies, their intellect and their worth. Of course, my goal is not to impose a Western way of thinking on them. I use ideas that I believe to be effective for people who are experiencing turmoil combined with sensitive understanding of VNese cultural norms. Combining these two crucial elements, I am able to offer healing however big or small in their lives. Thus, ideas of mental health and emotional healing/coping are able to transcend Vietnamese and Taiwanese cultures. This work is extremely trying at times in a context where the survivors all have to manage living together.
In future posts, I will be sharing my thoughts on confidentiality standards, power dynamics, gender-specific mental health concerns, physio-emotional problems, and transnational complications within the context of the VMWBO. Although mental health/healing has had to be teased out, creativity and flexibility are helping to shape it's unique presence at the shelter. We are consistently learning, peeling back the layers of an onion. I remain hopeful.
Refreshed and Inspired,
Calix
H1N1 has been in the detention centers for 2 weeks. We can't go in due to exposure and safety regulations. Hope and I were disappointed, because the 1-2 hours the 130 men and women spend with us each week is the only time they get to leave their cells for recreation. This is the only time they get to be treated with humanity and dignity all week. We have prepared another hip hop dance routine to teach them, but it will have to wait. There will be joy in the DCs again soon.
***************
I have been offering one-on-one counseling and support services for sexual abuse cases survivors experiencing depression, PTSD, dysthymia, and substance abuse. Additionally, I facilitate two support groups, which every resident at the shelter is invited to attend. They are separated by gender to provide culturally-appropriate safe spaces for people to discuss topics they are currently facing. Support is gained by practicing self-care techniques such as deep breathing and meditation. Also, playing games like emotional charades helps them develop 'emotional vocabularies' to express themselves when processing their stories of traumas.
It is thrilling to be witness to the communities of support that the women and men are learning to create for themselves. Discussions in support groups opens their worlds up to other ways of living. It assists them in accessing internal revenues of resources, meanwhile giving me the opportunity to praise and honor them for their perseverance. Most of them have never received positive reinforcement, an unfortunate stereotype of VNese culture. The women especially make negative remarks about their bodies, their intellect and their worth. Of course, my goal is not to impose a Western way of thinking on them. I use ideas that I believe to be effective for people who are experiencing turmoil combined with sensitive understanding of VNese cultural norms. Combining these two crucial elements, I am able to offer healing however big or small in their lives. Thus, ideas of mental health and emotional healing/coping are able to transcend Vietnamese and Taiwanese cultures. This work is extremely trying at times in a context where the survivors all have to manage living together.
In future posts, I will be sharing my thoughts on confidentiality standards, power dynamics, gender-specific mental health concerns, physio-emotional problems, and transnational complications within the context of the VMWBO. Although mental health/healing has had to be teased out, creativity and flexibility are helping to shape it's unique presence at the shelter. We are consistently learning, peeling back the layers of an onion. I remain hopeful.
Refreshed and Inspired,
Calix
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