A two-day workshop has been organized for seventy-five members of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate (SMI) from August 6 to 7, 2025, at the SMI Mother House Daffiama in the Upper West Region, Ghana.
Participants were mostly the young Sisters from the tertiary institutions, teachers, nurses, accountants, managers, secretaries, and a few old Sisters from the various Parishes and Dioceses.
Sr. Margaret Aasi, a member of the SMI General Council, who opened the workshop on behalf of the Superior General, encouraged the Sisters to approach abused persons with compassion, empathy, and honesty.
She told the members to acknowledge the reality of abuse and trauma and be prepared to move towards a safer and more supportive environment for all people, according to the Safe Guard Policy of the Congregation.
Sr. Justina Laalio Dery, the facilitator of the workshop, took the participants through the following aspects of Abuse and Trauma: Psychological, Emotional, Spiritual, Physical, Social, Abuse, and the Vowed Life.
She journeyed with the participants to explore the complexities of abuse and trauma and encouraged them to work together to identify ways of supporting those affected in various ways.
Sr. Justina concluded by encouraging the participants to strive to create a supportive environment for sharing experiences and healing. She offered them a message of hope and renewal, emphasizing the potential for growth and healing through awareness creation in the lives they touch daily.
By Sr. Gloria Duongnaa, SMI (Sister Communicator)
