Protection Program

Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS)

The war on Tigray involved widespread atrocities, including infrastructure destruction, civilian killings, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV). In response to this crisis, we established 8 Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) that serve as comprehensive support centers for survivors.

These safe spaces provide a welcoming, non-judgmental environment where girls, women, and persons with disabilities (PWD) can access the support they need to heal, rebuild, and thrive.

"Through our Women and Girls Safe Spaces, we provide not just services, but hope, dignity, and pathways to empowerment for survivors of Gender-Based Violence."

Comprehensive Services

Each WGSS provides a holistic package of services designed to address the multiple needs of survivors:

• Soft and Hard Skills Training: Both soft skills (communication, leadership, financial literacy) and hard skills (tailoring, hairdressing, food preparation) that enable economic independence
• Group Psychosocial Support (PSS): Group sessions that build community and reduce isolation
• Individual Counseling: Personalized trauma recovery support
• Emergency Cash Assistance: Immediate financial support for food and medicine
• Referral Linkage: Connections to health facilities and legal institutions
• Livelihood Support: Grants and training to start income-generating activities

Psychosocial Support and Healing

Trauma recovery is at the heart of our Protection Program. Through both group and individual psychosocial support, survivors find healing, community, and renewed hope. Group PSS sessions create connections with others who have had similar experiences, reducing isolation and stigma. Individual counseling provides personalized support for processing trauma and developing healthy coping strategies.

This dual approach to mental health support recognizes that healing happens both in community and through individual care. Survivors report significant improvements in mental health, including reduced anxiety and depression, better sleep, improved concentration, and restored hope for the future.

Economic Empowerment

Economic vulnerability often accompanies trauma, leaving survivors dependent and powerless. Our program breaks this cycle through comprehensive economic empowerment services:

• Skills training in marketable vocations
• Startup grants for small businesses
• Financial literacy education
• Business mentorship and support
• Access to savings groups and cooperatives

Through these services, survivors gain the skills, resources, and confidence to generate their own income and provide for their families. This economic independence is transformative—bringing not just financial security, but also dignity, confidence, and power to shape their own futures.

Outcomes: Recovery and Empowerment

The impact of our Protection Program extends far beyond immediate services. We witness profound transformations in the lives of survivors:

Recovery from Trauma

• Reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress
• Improved ability to sleep, concentrate, and engage in daily activities
• Restored sense of hope and confidence in the future
• Stronger social connections and support networks
• Greater resilience in facing ongoing challenges

Economic Empowerment and Stability

• Sustainable income generation through small businesses
• Increased household food security
• Greater financial independence and decision-making power
• Ability to invest in children's education
• Enhanced social status and respect within communities

Creating Lasting Change

Our Protection Program recognizes that recovery from GBV requires addressing not just the immediate trauma, but also the economic vulnerability and social isolation that often accompany it. By providing comprehensive support in safe, welcoming environments, we help survivors reclaim their dignity and rebuild their lives.

The transformation we witness demonstrates that with proper support, survivors don't just survive—they thrive, becoming agents of change in their own lives and role models in their communities. Economic empowerment combined with psychosocial healing creates lasting transformation that breaks cycles of violence and poverty.