it hopes that each woman will…

• Know her own rights

and those of her children. She will be able to advocate for herself within her family (if safe) and with government and community agencies. She will know where to go in her community to get support and assistance.

• Know how to advocate for herself

We seek to help each woman think critically and to make confident and thoughtful decisions about what is or isn’t useful in her own situation.

• Know about her reproductive system

and reproductive health. We want each woman to know how to avoid, or obtain treatment for, sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. We want them to know about community resources for ongoing support.

• Understand how her child develops

and how this will affect a child’s capacity to deal with stress, trauma and change in the family unit. Many children involved with Samunnat have witnessed violence towards their mothers and, in some situations, they have been the target of violence themselves. Sometimes this has contributed to behavioural issues and physical problems.

• Be supported to be an effective and loving parent

and know ways to help her children in difficult situations.

• Learn how to stay physically and emotionally healthy

especially under stressful circumstances.

• Learn how to resolve conflict and negotiate good outcomes wherever possible.

We teach and model different communication strategies that help interpersonal relationships.

• Learn how to establish and maintain a budget

She will learn about financial management, cooperatives and other community resources.

• Learn skill development

with a realistic possibility of income generation. Where possible, each woman is given skills in an area of her choice if this is sustainable and viable. In the past, training has been provided in managing small business, photo-lab work, beauty parlour training, basic book-keeping and computing, bakery training, pickle making, tailoring and polymer bead and jewellery making.

• Better understand the legal system

the roles of different people and the processes that relate to her situation. We want to empower each woman to move through the process with increasing independence and an ability to seek support from appropriate agencies.