Addiction is a lifelong disease and it is crucial for recovery and as well later on to provide people with a safe space within which they can heal. Therefor IBC started an initiative conducting self-help-seminars to assist Blue Crosses in establishing self-help groups in their countries. The first seminar was held from 24 till 31 January in Botswana.
The training was conducted using the christian 12 step model compass as a framework for self help groups. “It was a powerful experience of learning that each person needs to work on themselves and the facilitator role is to be on the same level as all participants, and listen”, Anne reported after her trip, which was the first among a series of trainings to come.
The gathering was made even more special as two ex-addicts came to share their stories about their recovery process. They encouraged participants to embark on a journey of self-discovery – “as you cannot run self-help-groups if you have not faced your own problems and addictions. We all have some things to work on- even if it is the use of mobile devices”, so Anne. IBC is looking forward to enabling Blue Crosses in different countries to establish self-help-groups and improve and run them smoothly.
