Our Projects
ABRAR Trauma and Mental Health has piloted and created many projects related to trauma and mental health to support marginalized groups with focus on immigrants and newcomers, and continues to advocate within the community.
Needles and Narratives
Dil Ba Dil
In This Together
Brave Space
Needles and Narratives
Needles and Narratives is a trauma-focused, creative support group for refugee and newcomer women in Hamilton, ON. This 12-week program combines art, sewing, and storytelling to foster healing, resilience, and community connection. Participants engage in dressmaking, painting, and other art therapy activities, all within a safe, supportive environment.
Facilitated by a mental health professional, the program is designed to promote mental well-being, creative expression, and social bonds. The sessions cover topics such as migration stories, fashion design, and cultural narratives, culminating in a fashion show in November 2024.
Dil Ba Dil
“Dil Ba Dil” (a Dari phrase meaning "heart to heart") is a trauma-informed, culturally competent, and early intervention support group for Afghan refugee and newcomer women. The program was successfully piloted in Kitchener-Waterloo in October 2022, in partnership with the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Future Ready Initiative.
The program is offered in English, Dari, and Pashto, providing accessible support to women in their preferred languages. Thanks to the generous support of Humaniti, the project was relaunched in 2023 across two provinces—Alberta (Calgary) and Ontario—with one national online cohort. It is currently being delivered in Hamilton and Toronto.
Sign Up for our waitlist
In This Together
A National Mental Health Campaign to advocate and call for a Post-Pandemic Mental Health Recovery Plan for youth in Canada, with a focus on those who come from marginalized backgrounds. The In This Together Campaign was launched in Feb 2021. During this time, we conducted research; hosted support groups for BIPOC youth; facilitated workshops; had an open letter signed by community organizations and youth across Canada; and hosted our Together Towards Recovery Conference II on Bell Let’s Talk Day: Jan-26-2022, along with publishing our final report for Recovery recommendations.
In this together 2022 report
Brave Space
Brave Space is a support group created for Muslim women to discuss Islamophobia and its impact on mental health, providing a safe environment to share experiences and develop valuable coping skills. The project was first piloted in Hamilton in November 2021, with the support of HCCI, SASHA, and Councillor Nrinder Nann, as a 4-week group. It was launched in response to the terrorist attack on the Afzaal family in London, Ontario, and subsequent Islamophobic incidents in Hamilton.
Brave Space was extended and relaunched in February 2023 across four cities—London, Hamilton, Kitchener, and Mississauga—in partnership with HCCI and Islamic Relief Canada. The project aimed to foster solidarity among Muslim women while addressing the rising number of Islamophobic attacks in Canada, celebrating their resilience.
Currently, the project is on hold due to funding limitations. You can read more about Brave Space and its impact in this
CBC article.