Costa Rica
As part of the cooperation agreement between the Rots and Water Institute NL and the International Network for Human Rights Europe (RIDHE), a Rock and Water Introduction Training was held in Costa Rica in late October 2023. For a day and a half, several community organizations in San Jose experienced the capabilities of the Rock and Water methodology. The training was led by Freerk Ykema and Rebeca Duarte, who also gave presentations and met with members of international organizations that provide psychosocial support to people in vulnerable situations.
Rock and Water trauma training in Turkey
On Feb. 6, 2023, two powerful earthquakes struck southeastern Turkey’s Kahramanmaras province. The earthquakes claimed thousands of lives, caused unimaginable human suffering and caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure across the region.
In the months that followed, the Rots & Water Institute provided assistance in several areas including providing a two-day Trauma Training in Ankara to a group of 30 psychologists. For that particular occasion, a workbook in Turkish was compiled and made available to participants. Leading up to the training, talks were held in Ankara with (and at) the Ministry of Education, the Turkish Association of Psychologists and AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Authority. The training was presented by Freerk Ykema, Gönül Dural (RW Master Trainer Turkey) and Zehra Yaman (co trainer, director Atlantis Education & Consultancy/Turkey). The training was evaluated very positively by all participants.
Rock and Water lessons in Kenya
The Rock and Water Institute is an important sponsor for Stichting4Life Foundation. This foundation invests in children by offering an education and nutrition program. They do this in Africa’s second-largest slum. This one is located in Kenya, Naïrobi. The neighborhood is called Kibera. Money alone is not the solution to poverty. Investing in education, training and internship is the path from dependence to self-reliance and independence. Since 2018, annual Rock and Water training has been provided to teachers at the 4 schools in the Kibera slums. The teachers of these three primary schools and one secondary school, train 1000 children every year, giving them important tools in their humanity under challenging conditions. For these children, teachers are important, predictable, safe and reliable adults who guide children in their humanity. The Rock and Water method supports teachers in this responsible task with an educational tool and supports children with lots of practical exercises to choose between Rock: “I am rock, I am strong and I take good care of myself,” and Water: ‘I am water, we are strong, we take good care of each other’.
