Releasing Emotions Through Art: "I Didn't Imagine That People Could Express Themselves This Way"

Brushes, felt pens, coloured pencils and paint pots cover a table that hosts six returnees at the Abobo Social Centre in Abidjan. All of them have been invited by IOM to express their emotions through art, as part of the joint EU-IOM Joint I nitiative for migrant protection and reintegration in Côte d'Ivoire.

For many of them, this group artistic expression session is a real discovery. Nadia*, a young woman who went to Morocco, explains: "I didn't know this process". Followed by IOM since her return to Côte d'Ivoire, Nadia participates in listening and counselling sessions which help to relieve her: "IOM provided two people with whom I can now talk to about my life. Before I met them, my mood was down. Now I'm fine. I'm not saying it's totally fine, but it's okay now."  Meliane Lorng, protection assistant at IOM, proposed Nadia to take part in this activity.

Before starting the session, Souad Khawand, IOM psychologist, reminded the participants that neutrality, impartiality and confidentiality would be respected. The explanations and the first exchanges contributed to break the silence and to install a favourable climate for discussion.

Thus, the reason for leaving, the migratory journey, the perception of the return, the interaction with the family and friends or the progress made in professional reintegration projects were addressed through art.

As Émilie Sepulchre, IOM's Mental Health and Psychosocial Support expert, explains: "These workshops of expression through artistic media aim to initiate a creative and therapeutic process for the migrants, guided by the words of the facilitators, and to open up new perspectives on their past, present and future history.

This is the case for Aminata, a young mother who felt she could release her emotions in a different way, thanks to this activity: "When I was asked to express my feelings, at the beginning I didn't know what to draw and I had the idea to draw what I had experienced with my children in Tunisia. I drew what really happened and what really touched me. It felt good to express my hidden emotions, which I couldn't say, because it's a shame to tell people."

The feeling of shame and failure, weighs on many returning migrants. After spending several years in the Maghreb, Ibrahima chose to return to Côte d'Ivoire. While the young man says he "thanks God for being home," he also deals with mixed feelings  "I am ashamed to be back while my friends are gone."

The session, punctuated by times of deep discussion and exchange in a caring atmosphere, lasted three hours. Participants left with concrete recommendations to take care of themselves and improve their self-esteem. All of them were particularly relieved to have found an attentive ear to express feelings that words could no longer describe.

Despite the emotion, Aminata came out of this exchange invigorated: "Before entering this room, I had a feeling of failure. Now, I am victorious. Leaving Tunisia and coming back is already a battle won, so I am moving forward with my head held high. Similarly, Nadia's enthusiasm at the end of the session perfectly illustrates the power of art therapy: "The activity was really great. I didn't think we could express ourselves like that. I saw that we could heal other than by talking".

*Pseudonyms were used to protect the identity of the returning migrants.