TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Maria Larisa Giangkampozidou
To support and safeguard women peacebuilders through collective and individual wellbeing, security and self care skills and practices
Project activities will include up to 15 BAN members – through a global call - participating in at least 10 online sessions from September to December 2024 (approximately 2 per month), with a focus on engaging:
New and emerging women peacebuilders, mediators, leaders of local, grassroots initiatives who have not yet had such opportunities and are in need of skills building, safety and community.
Women peacebuilders who work in high risk environments - war and conflict zones (conflict-affected or protracted conflict-affected country or region)
The training team consist of: Sweden, Albania, Kenya and Greece.
The target group was women from different countries:
Nigeria, Colombia, Cameroon, Croatia, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Lebanon, Taiwan, and Pakistan.
The training used a blend of experiential, creative, and reflective non-formal methods designed to build community and strengthen personal and collective resilience. These included grounding exercises, artistic expression (drawing, storytelling, vision mapping), peer-to-peer sharing in breakout rooms, collaborative digital tools (Miro/Mural), guided reflection, wellbeing and self-care rituals, and community-building practices such as gratitude circles and symbolic closing activities. Together, these methods fostered trust, enhanced learning, supported emotional safety, and empowered participants to apply the skills within their communities.
Women peacebuilders feel a greater sense of physical and digital security to carry out their work
Women peacebuilders feel a greater sense of physical, emotional and mental wellbeing
Women peacebuilders have the tools of self care and wellness to apply in their lives and to share in their communities
Creation of a virtual support network for the security and wellness of women peacebuilders within BAN
Prepare and facilitate two 1hour and 30 minutes sessions on the topic of of community weaving. Those two sessions were one in the beginning and one at the end. They focused on building a strong community of women peacebuilders through personal storytelling, creative expression, and shared reflection, helping participants connect with their inner voices, map a collective vision, and celebrate their growth and achievements. Together, they explored challenges and commitments, strengthened mutual support, and closed with gratitude rituals that honored both their individual journeys and their collective bond.
And also co-facilitated two sessions on Self and collective care. The two sessions focused on self-exploration, connection, and care, using grounding practices, creative expression, reflective sharing, and paired dialogues to help participants understand themselves, support one another, and begin building a shared community of care.
We also had a Whatsapp group with all participants and we were giving them some tasks to do in pairs so they can keep the engagement within the community.