I am Elasmaie, a Sudanese citizen. I work actively with others to defend human rights and ensure that we have a decent life in Sudan for all the Sudanese people. What stuck most with me during this [body mapping] exercise was pulling memories from my childhood, which was the beginning for me. I just had so many memories: the streets, friends, the games we used to play, the naughty days, the pains and injuries, the happy moments and many other things.

I work in the field of psychosocial support and the body mapping exercise was different from anything else I had ever done. It had a tremendous impact on me. After my body map was finished, I stood right before it and looked at it. And only then did I realize that this was Salwa, with all her pains and joys, and sad moments. This drawing is undoubtedly the real Salwa. And I am very happy with myself, especially considering everything that I’ve been through in my life, including things outside my control. I’ve experienced so much in my life. Nonetheless, I feel grounded and content as “Salwa“.

My body map includes different areas that reflect what I have felt from when I was little, until now. Feelings of tension, comfort, but also pain. After I drew my body map, I definitely felt different emotions. I felt there was a relief from all that tension and, generally speaking, the experience was quite useful to me. Generally speaking, I feel well, however, there is still some unease as a result of recollecting memories and undesirable thoughts from the past.

The best and most meaningful part of the exercise was the painting of the portrait on the body map. It felt so good looking at yourself in the mirror and then trying to express that in painting on your body map. It stirred emotions that I could transfer on the portrait in the form of a symbol to reflect on. Overall, I felt like I represented my life well, from childhood to the present with an outlook on the future. To those who will read or look at my body map, I encourage you to give it a try. It is a good exercise to express your trauma pains and reflect on your life, the positive and the negative aspects.

My body map represents someone who has been through a lot of pain, and experiences that considerably affected them. However, what I came to understand is that the body map covers various stages in life, and you begin to discover at every stage that there are things which are worth pulling oneself together for. Every stage has its characteristics and failures, which you may not have been aware of. You even see a new life that you didn’t know about. The body map represents your hidden things – the bright side of your life and the painful side of your life. After I drew the map and mentioned the important people and happy events in my life, I realized how I looked differently at life, from birth till now.