Community Led Trauma Resilience – Caring for Those Who Care for Citizens

August 15, 2025

Justice cannot be people-centered without recognizing the responsibility carried by those who listen to citizens every day.

Staff of the Ombudsperson’s Office and public administrators across Angola receive and process citizens’ complaints on a daily basis. For many officials, these encounters echo challenges they themselves have lived. Carrying this weight can affect their well-being and, ultimately, the quality-of-service delivery.

To respond to this reality, UNDP, in partnership with the Ombudsperson’s Office and ENAPP, has integrated Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) through the Community Led Trauma Resilience Training (CRIM ©) into the wider Virtual Hearings and Citizens’ Access to Public Services project. Alongside digital innovation, the initiative seeks to ensure that institutions are also empathetic and prepared to respond to the emotional realities behind citizens’ complaints, improving the quality and reach of justice services by guaranteeing justice practitioners are trauma-informed.

In June 2025, the first Community Led Trauma Resilience (CRIM ©) workshop was held in Luanda. For many participants, it was their first direct exposure to practical tools for understanding stress and trauma, and for applying that knowledge in professional life.

It is a new model, one we are seeing for the first time. It is an entirely new experience, and it is valuable because with the techniques we are learning, we will be better able to respond to citizens’ concerns. Our greatest responsibility is to provide answers, and this training gives us tools to meet those expectations.”

Paulo Garcia, Director of Human Resources at the Ombudsperson’s Office, explained

The relevance of such training becomes even clearer in Angola’s broader context. Like many countries, Angola has lived through a complex history with multiple wars and today faces the challenges of transformation and rising social demands. Public servants are not only policy implementers; they are also parents, caregivers, and active members of their communities. Many have faced situations of trauma themselves, which underlines the importance of building capacity and offering adequate support.

For Cláudia Costa, who works in the Directorate of Complaints, the training offered techniques that help both personally and professionally. “It allows us to deal better with our own traumas, our limitations and insufficiencies, while also helping us to recognize what citizens themselves may be going through,” she explained. “It gives us tools for self-control and for promoting well-being — for ourselves and for those we serve.”

The impact also reached beyond the Ombudsperson’s Office. José Antunes, who works directly with mining communities, described the learning as highly practical: “This course is proving very useful. It is a tool that I can apply every day in my role, since I deal constantly with situations of stress and trauma. The more people have access to these skills, the greater the benefit, not only for themselves but also for their interactions with others. It improves communication, reduces tensions, and contributes to well-being in daily life.”

This is why the training is designed to go further. As the first group of Ombudsperson officials and ENAPP trainers are now certified to pass on what they have learned, ensuring that resilience skills reach more colleagues across the provinces, more staff will be better prepared to manage stress, communicate with confidence, and serve citizens with dignity.

The integration of a trauma-informed public service response into the digital justice project signals a broader shift towards citizen citizen-centred governance model. Technology can widen access, but it is people who give institutions their human face. By investing in the well-being and empathy of those who serve, Angola is building a justice system that is not only more modern, but also more humane.