AMEN- Land Where Woman Heal is a center for feminine healing, celebration and leadership.At the heart of LWWH lies a healing community for survivors of sexual violence.- a unique residential program with a groundbreaking approach to treating Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Our vision
The way we see it, a land where women heal is needed in every country. It is an educational eco village where we can come to heal the wounds of the past, remember what we know, and dream and discover the next culture- a culture of compassion and nurture that is safe for men, women, children and the environment.
The Problem
One in six women has suffered prolonged sexual violence in childhood and many more experience sexual violence every year. Sexual violence is the leading cause of CPTSD, often leading to suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.
Existing solutions, such as hospitalization, are unsuitable, often causing retraumatization through use of physical restraints, hospitalization alongside sex offenders and a general lack of trauma informed care. Most victims are never provided the conditions they need to heal. Instead, many take their own lives.
Our Solution- Our Model
The AMEN healing community provides professional, trauma informed care, using a woman-centered, feminist and holistic approach. Our dedicated team of skilled clinical social workers, counselors and volunteers, provide women with comprehensive support 24/7 and help them learn how to manage symptoms such as suicidal thoughts and behaviours, self harm, eating and sleeping disorders and dissosiative episodes- (all of which could be life threatening). Women come to understand that these are all normal human responses to the extreme violence they have endured. They learn to turn pain to power, vulnerability to leadership, shame to resilience, and aloneness into solidarity and community.
How it all Began
Marva Zohar- the founder and CEO of the LWWH came to this mission through lived experience. As a sexual vioelnce survivor, Marva learned first hand how urgently women need a place like AMEN. After losing thirteen friends to suicide, Marva vowed to do everything in her power to make their dream and legacy a reality.
Our Journey- What we’ve achieved so far
Our first fundraising effort became Israel\\'s most successful crowdfunding campaign to date. It raised awareness and gave us the seed money to begin. Our pilot community in Kiryat Tivon opened In the spring of 2020, rushed ahead of schedule due to the Covid crisis. We hired and trained our staff and volunteers with the program already running and continued to develop our unique model of care- that can now be upscaled and is already inspiring systemic change.
In the Fall of 2021 expanded our services by adding a non residential treatment program. We’ve established income generating social businesses which contribute to the unique life affirming and empowering atmosphere at AMEN.
Over 45 women have been served by our healing community in the course of the last two years (some with young children) and hundreds have taken part in workshops and courses. Many women who have gone through our program tell us they would not be alive today without the LWWH
The Next Phase
Our professional commitment and responsibility have compelled us to take the knowledge and experience, the successes and challenges that have accumulated and formulate them into a comprehensive professional treatment plan. Over the past months (May-October 2023), we dedicated ourselves to pausing the emergency pilot program through which the healing community was established to create a model that better supports women staying in AMEN and the therapeutic team in the complex and delicate field of complex post-traumatic stress. Simultaneously, there has been a positive conclusion to the recent women's residence program. During these months, we convened with relevant professionals to our pioneering and innovative organization, to reflect, contemplate, and decide on the nature and scope of AMEN continued activities in the coming years, starting at the current location in Tivon and continuing in the future at the full village vision.
During this period, we did not admit new women. Shortly, a new treatment plan is expected to unfold. This program has been developed by clinical social workers, informed trauma therapists in various methods such as yoga and dance, artists, open dialogue groups, and experienced women activists. In the initial stage of the program, it will operate in a day-stay format. This is with a strong intention and belief to return to a full residence program. Thus, alongside the day-stay operation, we will work on planning, team training, and upgrading the necessary infrastructure to return to a full residence program. A rich treatment plan has been constructed, from which one can choose a personalized plan from a variety of workshops, therapies, and dialogue groups, under the belief that each individual is capable of being a full participant in their healing process. AMEN is located close to nature. From the perception that the connection to nature and the earth is an inseparable part of the path to healing and serves as a place for expression of pain and grief, enabling transformation in its unique way.
In order for us to continue to develop the unique program and create a genuine, healthy, and sustainable alternative for healing for women, we need your belief and support. It must be a place that sees, strengthens, connects the woman to her strengths and does not deprive them again on their journey to healing. We are still committed to the vision of the full village of AMEN and are working to realize it.
We know that the existence of AMEN - the dream and vision of Land Where Women Heal- is a vision of hope and trust in life for many women and men. We invite you to continue walking hand in hand, to remember that this is a long way to create a new reality, one in which we want to live and raise our children - a reality that includes Land Where Women Heal, a place for healing, ceremonies, learning, and women's empowerment, a place where we rediscover the deep health we seek in our personal and collective journey.
