Step Up 4 Armadale
The Armadale Fire
On the 22nd of May 2009, a fire at the Armadale Juvenile Correctional Centre consumed the lives of seven girls and left dozens more with severe emotional and psychological damage.
The Girls
A number of the young women have issues relating to nearly losing their lives in the fire; some suffer because of their physical wounds and severe skin burns, others are burdened by witnessing their friends burning to death. All identify deep emotional issues that have been amplified by the effects of the fire. These issues are still the cause of extreme challenges in their lives.
Pure Potential
The request for an intervention by Pure Potential to provide psychological support to the survivors of the Armadale fire came out of a UNICEF funded workshop held in May 2013. Our role then was to observe the young women and support them emotionally throughout the sessions. We were subsequently asked to assist in their healing process, as they have not received any significant psychological or therapeutic support since the fire. The survivors expressed a desperate need for support to manage their past and current life issues. They have asked that their needs be met as a collective group, as currently they only have each other to depend on via limited phone contact.
Step Up 4 Armadale will allow each young woman the opportunity to obtain therapeutic intervention and preparedness for work training. This will empower them to be able to actively and purposely contribute to the development of their communities.
Project Update
We have completed Phases 1 and 2 of the Step Up 4 Armadale project and are currently fundraising for Phase 3 of the project which we are hoping to launch by January 2015.
​
Please take the time to look around our website. Have a look at what we have done so far, plans for the future and read about how you can support our girls.
ABOUT US
