The last
couple of weeks we have met people in shock and despair throughout the affected
areas in Serbia and Bosnia. We have been in shock and despair ourselves.
But, at the
same time, we have met a collective mentality in people that has given so much
back to us. People have teamed up and cleaned neighborhoods, helped each other
out, and volunteered in collective centers. In state of emergency, we have
proved ourselves to be a strong group.
Now, water
is withdrawing and daily life is slowly returning. For the weeks and months to
come we will find ourselves somewhere in between crisis and the life we are
used to. This might not be as life threatening as
fighting the force of nature, but it will definitely be challenging. So many
people meet this state without a home to return to.
Children in the collective centre in Zenica engaged in activities organized by Save the Children PHOTO: Hanne Bjugstad |
We have to
find out how we most efficiently can help those who lost everything. We need to
make sure that the damages on land, businesses and infrastructure are repaired
as soon as possible so we are able to get on. And we have to take good care of
our children, so they can get on.
Natural
disasters cause big traumas for lots of reasons, but maybe mostly because we
are reminded of how small we are compared to nature. This can be very
traumatizing to a child. How do you cope when you realize that your parents
aren’t the leaders of the universe?
The hug - children engaged in activities organized by Save the Children PHOTO: Hanne Bjugstad |
Save the
Children are now setting up Child Friendly Spaces in affected areas of Bosnia
and Serbia. Here we will reach out to children with activities and a space to
play and learn. Here they will get a break from the unusual surroundings they
now have to deal with. We will also provide psychological support to release
the tension and trauma our kids now face. We have already started with activities
in the collective center in Zenica, and we are happy to see that even in state
of emergency; children are still children. They light up in playful activities
with each other and forget the world around them.
No comments:
Post a Comment