Annual Newsletter 2021

If you feel like giving up, I want you to know that You Matter. I want you to know that
Your Time for Greatness is Coming.
Better Days Are Coming.
There is a Light at the end of the tunnel and that Light is Just Around the Corner.
I Believe in You, You Got This!
You Are Next UP!”― Jeanette Coron

This year again, Sisters Living Works continued its efforts to educate individuals on suicide prevention and emphasized that suicide prevention should be a priority. The increasing rate of suicide is alarming in India today, and it has become imperative to take necessary and appropriate actions. This may not be prevented completely but we are sure that through our efforts we can help to control suicide rates in India. Every session we are conducting toward the cause is making a positive impact and making a move (though small) toward our goal to see suicide-free India.

Let’s look at the details of work we accomplished in the year 2021: 

1.) WORKSHOPS :

Our workshops aim to build awareness on suicide prevention, warning signs, myths, and the role of a first responder. It equips the participant to act as a first responder to someone in a suicide crisis. Our workshops encourage experiential sharing; providing a safe space for people to share their stories, experiences, and thoughts. The workshops are tailored to meet the needs of the groups. In light of the pandemic, the need for suicide prevention training has increased. Since January, we have been able to touch around 5,500 lives through our workshops. Some of the organizations we collaborated are:

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
• Udayan Shalini Fellowship
• Steer For Cheer Foundation
• Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai
• Walia College of Art, Science, and Commerce
• MAAC India
• Katalyst India
• AIESEC
• Hamdard Institute of Medical Science
• S.L. Raheja College
• Gurunanak English High School

While the pandemic forced us to adapt to the virtual mode, this allowed us to reach out to individuals across the country. From university campuses to the hinterlands and students to professionals; we have been able to connect with people from diverse backgrounds.

We also measure the effectiveness of our workshops by sharing pre-workshop and post-workshop forms with the participants, so that we can ensure that we are meeting our objective of spreading awareness and educating them. The graph diagram given below depicts the feedback we received from our workshop sessions:

2.) SUPPORT GROUPS​​:

Grief and tragedy can be particularly tough to bear for those individuals who have lost someone to suicide. Our support groups are conducted thrice a month for emotional distress and survivors of suicide loss. In the last two months, we have seen new members accessing these spaces. Considering the effect of the pandemic on mental well-being, these groups act as a safe space to share and process emotions related to the loss. This year INTERNATIONAL SUICIDE SURVIVORS DAY was conducted on November 20, 2021. International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day is when survivors of suicide loss come together to share their stories and find comfort, understanding and hope. To commemorate this day, we organized a session on ‘Coping with Grief’ and ‘Art Therapy’ to help survivors of suicide loss to heal and receive support from individuals who are on the same journey as them. 

Participants talked about the stigma attached to mental illness & suicide, making it difficult to cope with loss. For many individuals, losing someone to suicide shapes their identity. ​We want to continue to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for survivors of suicide loss and those experiencing mental health challenges, who can discuss and connect through our Support Groups. We have been working hard to get more participants to avail the benefits of forums like these. Participants in support groups are encouraged to recognize their progress and participate in activities that have aided others dealing with similar mental health issues.

“I’m glad I joined in. It was very helpful. Helped me understand what others in a similar situation go through and what can be done to feel a little less heavy on a daily basis.” said one of the participants from the support group.

Our esteemed speaker for International Survivor Day Ashish Thakur, a senior psychologist at a mental health clinic called Mindtemple, moderated the session. Major areas of his study, skillset, and expertise include Trauma work, Grief, Loss and Bereavement, Suicidology, Childhood issues, and Gay & Lesbian Youth. He created a safe space for the participants to share their experiences and created an atmosphere that fostered healing. He started the session by sharing his experience about being a survivor, how that changed his life, and how he coped with it. He emphasized that coping with grief is never linear and it helps people discover new things about themselves with every moment. Ashish encouraged the participants to share their stories of struggle and he acknowledged important aspects of grief and healing.

3.) CONFERENCES:

Sisters Living Works had also organized its 7th Annual Conference on World Suicide Prevention Day on 11th and 12th September. The two-day sessions focused on providing current, knowledge-based information and the impact of this information on the lives of individuals dealing with suicidal incidences or ideations and for those who have lost loved ones to suicide. It also provided a space to nurture one’s mental well-being through art and music. We had a series of speakers talking on various issues related to suicide and suicide prevention addressing at-risk groups within the ambit of suicide prevention; young adults, the LGBTQIA+ community, and survivors of suicide loss. Apart from talks, we also allowed participants to engage in dance/movement and art therapy workshops. We had also conducted competitions among all age groups in various categories like Poster making, Creative Writing, and Moviemaking. The conference registration was free and open to all. This was to encourage more people to participate and learn. Below given is the list of eminent speakers that were present during the conference and posters that won the competition.

4.) COUNSELOR’S TRAINING PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND EDUCATORS:

An extensive 16-hours training program launched in the month of July’21 equipped counselors to undertake suicide prevention awareness for school children. This program helps in building more inclusive and safe educational spaces for children, where help-seeking behavior is encouraged. So far we have successfully conducted two batches and feedback was encouraging.​

“I appreciated the wholesome contents and systematic approach of the course. The sessions covered were lucidly presented by the trainer, who also made it a point to make them interactive and participatory. It has given me an insight into the issue of suicide which is rarely discussed in our society. I have perceived the gravity and proportion of the problem as well as the possibility of making positive intervention” – -Anonymous Training Program Participant.

GOING FORWARD: 

We at Sisters Living Works are motivated to take our programs to next level by taking the following initiatives:

a) We want to reach out and spread more awareness among the people in India that “Suicide is preventable”. We want to conduct a minimum of 6 to 8 workshops every month for schools, colleges & communities and maximize participation in every workshop. 

b) Inviting and engaging more participants for our Support Groups by increasing the frequency of these sessions. This can be done by reaching out to more and more individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide through a support group program organized a minimum of 3 to 5 times a month and in local languages. 

c) Focus on conducting more Counselors Training Programs in schools to equip educators with resources to help children. 

d) We are launching a “First Responder Training Program” for college students. They will be trained with knowledge and resources to become a single point contact person for their community and groups in their school/college.

​​​The SLW Team expresses its gratitude and appreciation for the contribution made by the speakers, guests, interns, volunteers, delegates, and everyone else who helped make our work successful this year. We appreciate your love and support!

You can also support us further by donating a small amount to our organization. This will allow us to keep doing the good work for society.

​Sisters Living Works is a 501(c3) nonprofit organization in USA and 80G registered in India. Your donation is deductible to the fullest extent, allowed by law.

​You can also donate through our website sisterslivingworks.org using our secure PayPal or Credit Card system.

​You can scan the QR code and donate to us through UPI in INDIA. Our details are as given below: