Course Introduction
When survivor leaders first introduced the concept and importance of an Empowered Caregiver’s Action Plan, the word empowered stood out most to me. It shifts the narrative — so often, in caregiving roles, we focus on empowering victims, survivors, and those seeking support. Yet here, survivors are using their lived experiences to empower those of us who have not experienced trafficking or exploitation first-hand. Survivors hold a wealth of knowledge. They are intelligent, resourceful, knowledgeable, and passionate advocates for change. Through this project, they offer us a profound gift by empowering us to do better in our support of all survivors.
One definition of care is “the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something; serious attention or consideration applied to doing something correctly or to avoid damage or risk.” This feels like a cold definition of a word that is often used to express something much deeper — human connection, compassion, and intentionality. Consider the word carefully. Care implies empathy, comfort, support, and kindness. Yet, as I reflect on the lived experiences of survivors, I recognize that while this project has been shaped by their encounters with those in positions to provide “care,” survivors have not always received it from empathy-givers. Comfort-givers. Support-givers. Kindness-givers.
Artwork created during our Creative Conversations: Survivor Forum event, September 2024
Care should be more than a duty - it should be a commitment to seeing, valuing, and uplifting the person in front of us. Through this toolkit, we invite you to reflect and examine what care truly means and how to embody it in ways that honour and empower survivors.
I invite you to position yourself to receive this guidance and direction from survivors so that we can be better empowered caregivers and create truly caring communities of support.
Jennifer Lucking
Executive Director, Restorations Second Stage Homes
This project has been made possible with funding by Women and Gender Equality Canada.
