Between trauma and hope

The majority of asylum seekers under 18 have experienced a series of traumatic events: many were victims of physical or sexual abuse, witnessed the murders of family members, ended up in the hands of human traffickers or were detained in custody. Because many of these abuses happened in early stages of these young people’s development, the resulting damage is often severe. In addition, the children and teenagers are often left to fend for themselves in their new countries. The cumulative effect of these experiences has a considerable influence on their mental health and their interpersonal relationships. The Baobab Centre in London supports young asylum seekers to cope with concrete or abstract loss and to rebuild trust. It supports them with individual and group counselling as well as a series of psychosocial activities such as art and music workshops, English language courses or holiday projects, and guides them through the complex asylum process.

A future through Integration

Regular therapeutic work enables the children and youths to shift their sense of isolation and marginalisation to a sense of belonging; they begin to participate in the life of the community. The Baobab Centre helps them to deal with the complexity of the transition to life in a new country while promoting their capability and confidence. The centre gives them a sense of security, recognition and being part of a community to which they can contribute. The young asylum seekers learn to be self-reliant, form relationships and develop their education.

Project support

The Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation supports the Baobab Centre in 2017 with a financial contribution of 32’000.—and with GBP 35’000.- in 2019. 2020 marks the beginning of a three year cooperation: from 2020 – 2023 the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation supports the Baobab Centre with a project contribution of CHF 287’380, intended to support the expansion of their services and extend their fundraising portfolio. This cooperation was supplemented by the amount of CHF 21’676 to cover part of the additional costs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.