Embedded Files
The importance of investing in cultural adaptation
The importance of investing in cultural adaptation
The adaptation workshop is generally 5-days. For the National Police Service police and civilan participants were invited to the adaptation workshop.
The adaptation workshop consists of a number of smaller activities (discussions, brainstorming, prioritizing, and consensus-building around the concepts around a contextually adapted cycle of violence. Then the adaptation team writes what the concepts mean (i.e. the definition) and secondly gives an example through a real-life story explaining the concept. By the end of the adaptation workshop, the team will have developed and documented the following:
A program name & logo
Contextualized definitions and stories for the Cycle of Violence and Breaking Free
Selected and written traditional folktales that explain the breaking free concepts of truth, healing, forgiveness, peace, and reconciliation.
in partnership with the
in partnership with the
National Police Service, Kenya
National Police Service, Kenya
Context
Context
Police officers experience toxic stress and traumatic events. The program recognizes police officers are routinely exposed to traumatic events and when such routine exposure to secondary trauma is not addressed it will, in all likelihood, lead to emotional and mental health issues for both the officers and the community they serve. It is commonly held that “trauma that is not transformed is transferred.” Therefore, these men and women in uniform who help make our communities safer and secure every day need to possess the knowledge, tools and approaches that ensure the trauma they experience in their personal and professional lives is not transferred to themselves, their colleagues, their loved ones nor the communities they serve.
Culture
Culture
The police respond to every suicide, every murder, and every fatal car accident. Arguably, they are routinely exposed to more death and trauma than troops of war. Their lives are often endangered. The effects of trauma are often ignored, resulting in high levels of suicide, divorce, and addictions. While often underappreciated, these men and women help make our communities safer and more secure every day. Unfortunately, police officers work under constant stress and pressure. Many police officers suffer from the effects of trauma and PTS. However, healing from trauma is more difficult for law enforcement as officers are often reluctant or not allowed to share their experiences.
On the other hand, corruption by the police who are there “to protect and serve” the greater good, causes people (especially the young) to become angry. These feelings of anger and resentment also stem from discrimination and from being cheated, humiliated, or harassed by the police and the legal system, with no avenues for appeal. “Early experiences of violence – being roughed up by state security forces, for example – are associated with pushing young people into violent groups.” Youth “express a particular anger and frustration from the way they are mistreated by authorities especially the police for whom they reserve some of the harshest criticism and disaffection.’ The communities being served have had extremely high exposure to traumatic events and their current existence is stressful and precarious.
Name and Logo Creation
Name and Logo Creation
"As we continue offering service with dignity, we envision that Muamko Mpya will contribute to: (a) reawakening the inner healer in each officer so that she or he can always return to balance and psychological health during stormy times; (b) strengthening an institutional culture promoting mutual peer support and trauma-sensitivity in the entire NPS structures and systems; and, (c) enhance our service to our communities in ways that are conscious of the need for holistic healing in our society.
Yes, it is Muamko Mpya — may this be a new beginning for all officers in the entire NPS. As we continue to offer service with dignity may we also create spaces and find ways to promote healing in our lives, in our institutions, and the communities we serve!"
-- Hillary Nzioki Mutyambai, Inspector General National Police Service
Highlights
Highlights
Sample pieces of the Muamko Mypa curriculum that was created for the Kenyan National Police Service (NPS)
Adapting the cycle of violence
Adapting the cycle of violence
Participants review the different elements of the cycle of violence. In both the "hurting-self" and the "hurting-others" this is where one can see many everyday mental health issues being explored and explained from their own context. In many ways, this becomes a list of how people can tell when their friends, family, and neighbors are distressed and unwell. Participants explore through individual brainstorming all the different issues that they feel are a part of the painful cycle. Afterwards participants sort and group the ways people hurt themselves and others. Finally, they are ranked and prioritized. Lived experience is given space, as well as, what people observe in others in their daily lives.
The same is done for the "breaking free" element but categorized by truth-telling, forgiveness, justice, peace, and reconciliation.
Celebrating the artists
Celebrating the artists
Watercolors
Watercolors
We use illustrators and painters who use watercolors. They paint from stories and definitions from the adaptation workshop We have learned that graphic/computer-generated artwork does not have the same emotions. Involving the artist in the adaptation workshop is key.
In Kenya today most people do not see positive images of police officers. Instead we see corruption, violence, suicide, and dishonor. Thus showing the police and their families in positive, everyday and healthy practices is an important part of a strenth-based, healing-centered approach.
The Artists
The Artists
Patrick Mukabi
Patrick Mukabi
David "Radoli"
David "Radoli"
Rony Nanjero
Rony Nanjero
Lawerence aka Imwachiro Ndune
Lawerence aka Imwachiro Ndune
Kevin Ndega
Kevin Ndega
Elvis Owour
Elvis Owour
Some of the visuals are violent and many are distrubing. Both the police officers and the civilians who were a part of the adaptation process noted such images are a part of the truth-telling process when a violent society is policed by a broken institution. They felt it necessary to include images that made both civilians and police officers uncomfortable was important as it documented the harsh realities of people's lived experience in the cycle of violence. They explained that the images are not re-traumaizing but instead an important part of the healing process. The participants drove the development of difficult images.
Page updated
Report abuse