By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA
Accra, Nov. 03, GNA – The Whistleblowers, Activists and Journalists Safety International Centre (WAJSIC) has organised a psychological counselling programme for journalists, whistleblowers and human rights defenders facing threats because of their work.
The session forms part of ongoing efforts by the organisation to enhance the safety, resilience and wellbeing of individuals working in accountability and public-interest advocacy.
Facilitated by a clinical psychologist Mrs Rita Appiah-Danquah of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the counselling provided personalised support for eight participants, helping them to process traumatic experiences, strengthen coping mechanisms and build emotional resilience.
WAJSIC also indicated that the initiative was designed to offer confidential and survivor-centered mental healthcare to individuals who had experienced threats, harassment or displacement due to their work in defending public interest.
The sessions covered trauma processing, emotional regulation, safety planning, grief and loss support, identity recovery, and wellness planning while therapeutic tools such as mood and stress journals, as well as art-based methods, were also applied.
Some beneficiaries described the programme as life-changing and emphasised significant improvements in their emotional stability and self-confidence.
“The session was very fruitful and reassuring. I now understand why I feel a certain way sometimes and how to manage it,” one participant said.
Others highlighted improved self-awareness, stress-management skills, and renewed motivation to reintegrate into society and continue their advocacy roles.
The counselling formed part of WAJSIC’s broader capacity-building programme under the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) initiative, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and co-financed by the European Union and Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
It follows the organisation’s investigative journalism training and psychological stress-management workshops, with support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Ghana’s Ministry of Finance.
WAJSIC aims to provide safe accommodation, legal support, psychosocial services and professional development for frontline actors in public-interest accountability work.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Sawer/ GNA