A market with a purpose is taking place at Francis Patton Primary School on Sunday.

The host is Rise Tribe, a supportive community for anyone struggling through abusive trauma.

Clothes, handbags, water bottles and other affirmation-bearing items sold through the group’s online gift shop will be on sale at the “motivational and healing market”. There will also be goods and products by businesses with a similar intent.

The hope is to draw attention to October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and World Mental Health Day, which was recognised on October 10.

“We recognise that it is the close of the month but unfortunately that does not end the, often silent, emotional and mental struggle that some find themselves in,” said the group’s founder.

She started Rise, which stands for Resiliently Inspired. Strengthened and Encouraged, in 2020 thinking it might help people who, like herself, were in an abusive relationship and unable to leave.

Her hope is that the group inspires anyone who needs help in claiming “their beauty, their worth” so that they are able to “find some way to shine, even if all they can manage is a smile”.

“Rise Tribe Bermuda is a community that welcomes all who are genuinely willing to lend to the cause of improving the state of mental and emotional health in our island home,” she explained.

Specifically the aim is to provide “natural, safe spaces for people to release and heal” from mental stress, and support existing community education on domestic violence and healthy relationships in families, the workplace, between peers and in romances.

“We want to ensure that our rights to these are protected by established and clear laws of this land that speak directly to this particular area of abuse,” she added.

The woman asked not to share her name because she did not want her identity to distract from the work that Rise Tribe is attempting to do.

“By putting my face to it I don't want it to be thought that I have some sort of credential or degree or anything particular that makes me any more worthy than the next person.

“All I want is for people to be happy, healthy and healed. This is just me – human to human, heart to heart, soul to soul – offering a space. Whether it’s virtual or physical, for me, this is basically an expression of love. Love is purpose to me and this is my expression of purpose. So there’s no need for a face for that because we have a unified purpose and we exist on an equal plane, and I just want that to be more important than who I am.”

The idea of an online gift shop partnered with steps she is painting to boost her own morale each day.

“I make sure that I surround myself with affirming reminders, which I believe that we all should be intentional in doing to stay uplifted,” she said.

“It has taken me about six months to do and is still not quite complete as I am no artist and I sometimes doubted that I could pull off what I envisioned.

“Each step includes a message of specific, divinely inspired, word power – from breathe to believe – in a mix of Swahili and English with the collective message being a guided process to healing.

“The online gift shop was launched on Mental Health Awareness Day. The goal is to provide walking motivation and affirmation to those that have purchased our gifts as well as to those who may admire them as they pass by. The light is for everyone.”

The gift shop is not only meant to inspire but also to honour “the place in others that is the same in me”, she added.

“Many souls have experienced pains and traumas that may never be known to others. It’s not an easy road in the least finding that flickering light within. Choosing to be that light is what Rise represents.”

She was thrilled to discover so many similarly intentioned groups to partner with for Sunday’s market.

“It is a themed market, an intentionally themed market for motivation and healing. So those vendors that are going to be in this space are those that provide that service on some level. So we have candles, massage and essential oils. Yoga, organic breads, natural juices, wellness teas.

“Many have said: ‘You can’t help anyone until you help yourself.’ When you have a deep, genuine connection to purpose, you know just what to do with that advice, you rise.”

The Rise Motivational and Healing Market takes place from 11am to 3pm at Francis Patton Primary School. For more information: www.risetribebda.com; hello@risetribebda.com