Teamwork makes the dream work! Fr. Vargese, our Baraka site director in Kenya, admired how the Chalice family circles always had a strong sense of unity and took on problems as a team. The site had monthly group meetings which were a safe place to share personal challenges, find support, and make progress together.
When the pandemic struck, the families felt a deep loss of that social support network since they could no longer meet face-to-face. The impacts rippled to their children. So, when a mental health training program was mentioned, they couldn’t pass it by.
The Baraka site staff noticed a saddening increase of poor decisions and risky behaviour among their youth. Drop-out rates increased, and low self-esteem and conflict was pervasive. This was combined with the financial and mental stress the pandemic had on the families, which they faced while feeling isolated.