Over the course of four days, the children learn to listen to their gut feeling and draw personal boundaries. They learn about their right to say no to unwanted kisses and touches and that getting help is not tattling. They learn to distinguish good secrets from bad ones and to name body parts. Singing and playing help them understand themselves better and become clear about their own boundaries and feelings.
In 2022, the Lörrach Women’s Counseling Center was able to implement 35 prevention projects in third and fourth grades in the district of Lörrach as well as in facilities for people with disabilities.
In the "Courage feels good" prevention project, the sun represents the gut feeling that children should listen to. The message: There are no bad feelings. All of them are right and important and serve to protect oneself. Source: Igor Kovalchuk (hands) – stock.adobe.com and Busch Vacuum Solutions.
Courage Feels Good
“Who of you has been brave before?” asks the social educator. Children’s hands are quickly raised. Everyone wants to talk about challenges that they have bravely overcome. This is how the prevention project “Mut tut gut” (Courage feels good) starts, through which primary school children learn about their feelings and boundaries. The project is intended to strengthen primary school pupils by defending themselves against sexualized violence, if necessary, or to confide in someone. The project was initiated by the Lörrach Women’s Counseling Center near our headquarters and has been supported by our company since 2019.
Prevention is such an important building block in the fight against sexualized violence. It is crucial that the projects are aimed at both the children and the legal guardians and teachers. It is essentially about strengthening children, raising awareness, and imparting basic knowledge on the topic of sexual abuse. Because no child can protect itself alone!
The requests are constantly high and increasing. We are far from being able to serve everyone. The fact that we can offer 35 projects at all is due to the support of the Fritz-Berger-Fonds, grants from the country and donations such as these from Busch.
For 30 years, the team at the Lörrach Women’s Counseling Center has been advising and supporting those affected by sexual, physical and psychological violence, as well as their relatives and professionals involved.