In January 2024, Julia, a Breathworks UK Mindfulness for Stress & Health teacher, trainer, and supervisor, conducted an outreach version of the Breathworks Mindfulness for Stress Teacher Training in Freetown, Sierra Leone. This initiative aims to empower local mindfulness teachers to share stress management techniques within their communities and organizations.
Sierra Leone faces significant economic challenges, with a minimum monthly wage of 800 NLe (£32) barely covering basic necessities. The country’s recent history of civil war and the Ebola epidemic has left many communities dealing with trauma and stress. There is a pressing need for accessible, culturally relevant stress management tools.
The program
The program trains local professionals from various sectors to become accredited mindfulness teachers. These teachers then offer 8-session mindfulness courses to their respective communities, addressing stress and promoting wellbeing.
The Mindfulness for Stress Teachers programme in Sierra Leone employs a comprehensive five-pronged approach to address local stress management needs:
- Teacher Training: Local professionals completed a specialized Mindfulness for Stress Teacher Training.
- Practice Courses: Newly trained teachers are running their first “practice” courses as the final step in their accreditation process. Examples include:
- Samuel: Working with the Sierra Leonean Police Force in Freetown
- Francess & Sulcut: Serving prison officers at the Female Prison in Freetown
- Teezo & Ibrahim: Engaging with a football team in Makeni
- Alimamy: Offering courses to school teachers in Makeni
- Course Structure: Each course consists of 8 sessions plus a preliminary introductory taster session, typically accommodating 12 participants.
- Content: Sessions cover various aspects of mindfulness, including:
- The social dimension of mindfulness
- Working with emotionally charged thoughts and difficult experiences
- Exploring the concept of acceptance vs. resistance
- Countering negativity bias through “noticing the good”
- Mindful movement and breathing exercises
- Adaptations: The program emphasizes context-appropriate and trauma-informed approaches, tailoring techniques to local needs and experiences.
Funding and Sustainability
- Each 8-session program costs approximately £350-£400 to run.
- Funds cover course materials, training props, stationery, refreshments, transport, and venue rental where necessary.
- The initiative seeks donations to support teachers in offering their first courses, as local economic conditions make self-funding challenging.
Impact
- Professional Development: Enables local teachers to become accredited mindfulness instructors.
- Community Wellbeing: Provides stress management tools to various groups, including police officers, prison staff, footballers, and educators.
- Trauma Recovery: Offers potential support for survivors of trauma, including those affected by civil war and epidemics.
- Cultural Relevance: Allows mindfulness techniques to be taught by local instructors who understand the community’s specific challenges and context.
Future Directions
- Expansion of the program to reach more communities and sectors.
- Potential application in refugee, IDP & migrant settings.
- Development of trauma-sensitive yoga programs for various vulnerable groups.
The Mindfulness for Stress Teachers initiative in Sierra Leone represents a compassionate, locally-driven approach to addressing stress and trauma in a challenging environment. By empowering local professionals to become mindfulness instructors, the program ensures cultural relevance and sustainability. This model has the potential to significantly impact individual and community wellbeing, offering much-needed tools for stress management and resilience in the face of ongoing hardships.