Survivors Day 2019 : A Day for Hope and Healing

A day for Hope and Healing

On Saturday, 23rd November 2019, Sisters Living Works organized a gathering to celebrate International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. Families and friends who had lost loved ones to suicide came together to share their experiences and find comfort in the knowledge that they are not alone in their grief.

We began our event at CLAP Centre, Malad, Mumbai at 10:30 am with walk-in registrations pouring in. 15 survivors joined us for an intimate afternoon of fun, relaxation, connection, and insight.

After an enjoyable ice breaker activity, the participants were invited to indulge in some therapeutic art! We offered each participant a rock that they could paint, write, or draw on as a symbol of hope and coping in their journey of healing. Some of them painted symbols of “life” on their rocks such as trees and butterflies, while others wrote words that they would like to keep close to them such as “gratitude” and “love”.

We proceeded to screen Pathways to Healing : Hope After Suicide Loss, the official documentary for 2019 by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The movie follows the family and friends of Chris Taddeo, a young adult who died by suicide. Together, they show the individual experiences that a community of people can have after a shared loss: from confusion and denial, to isolation and finding support.

After the screening, we divided participants into small breakout groups to discuss the movie with each other while sharing their own insights and personal stories of coping from loss. Using a set of questions as a guide, we encouraged each group to create a Coping Tree. In this tree, the roots would signify the problems, difficulties and emotions they may be struggling with.

The trunk would have the people and support systems that have been helpful for them after the loss.

The leafy canopy would highlight the coping strategies and activities that they have been using or have picked up from the movie.

Each group spoke about their Coping Trees and how it could serve as a concrete reminder of the supportive resources that can help them cope through this rough path.

A panel discussion followed, that was led by Ms. Nyana Sabharwal, Founder of We Hear You: a support group for loss survivors, and Ms. Devika Kapoor, a mental health professional and therapist. The panel discussion quickly turned into an intimate and safe support space where participants openly shared their own experiences of grief, concerns that they go through in daily life after their loss, and questions about stigma around mental health. Both panellists were fantastic in holding space for every participant’s sharing and vulnerability, while providing helpful insights and information.

The day was brought to a wrap with a dance and movement therapy workshop facilitated by Mr. Kabir, a certified DMT practitioner. With the intention of relaxation, getting in touch with our inner child, and community building, Kabir led the participants through a series of fun dance movements and exercises that kept them engaged and left them with smiles on their faces.

Lunch and refreshments were served as participants shared kind words of feedback with us about the gathering. We were excited to give away a specially made “Hope Kit” for every participant and speaker that could support them in their grief journey.

We wholeheartedly offer our gratitude to each survivor who joined us for the gathering, our venue partner CLAP Centre, and our hardworking volunteers and core team!