2023-08-02 16:00:00
On a cold winter morning in the town of Bender, Transnistria region, a group of children between the ages of six and ten were surprised—and at first resistant—when they were given pencils and asked to that they draw
“I’m not going to draw anything!” declared a little boy named “L.”
However, little by little, they became friends with the idea. At the end of the day, L. had drawn more than everyone else. After that first session, word spread among the little ones that those ICRC people weren’t so bad… and the atmosphere in the following sessions was much more pleasant.
Starting in February 2023 and over the next three months, ten psychosocial support sessions were organized in the Transnistria region, supported by the Bender branch of the Moldovan Red Cross. Nearly 80 children—both from host communities and families who had fled the international armed conflict in Ukraine—participated in the sessions.
Dream about the future
The children graphically described the happiest and saddest moments of their lives. When they were asked to write letters to their future selves, the most varied emotions and concerns surfaced: from the importance of family to material comforts, to fear of enemies and longing for a friend who was far away. Some hoped they would do better in school, hone a skill, or start a business with 100 lei. Others just dreamed of going home. Some of the letters had multiple sentences; others, just a line.
At first, many did not want to read their letters to the group.
However, despite their initial skepticism, most ended up reading them aloud. Those who felt more anxiety and fear needed more attention to be able to do it.
As the children themselves said, it was important for them to “tell the secrets that they had never confided to anyone.”
Once the conversation started to flow, the roles were reversed and they were the ones who advised the ICRC team! The fact of reading the letters aloud boded something bad. They claimed: “If you say your wish out loud, it will not come true!”
Training volunteers to increase support
The sessions were so successful that the ICRC’s mental health and psychosocial support team in Chisinau decided to support the training of the Moldovan Red Cross branches in Balti – in the north of the country – and Bender. Two facilitators from each branch were chosen to plan, organize and supervise volunteer-led psychosocial support activities for the local community, including people who had fled Ukraine.
Volunteers received training to identify factors that influence the psychosocial well-being of people affected by armed conflict, recognize psychological symptoms, know when and where to refer people to appropriate services, and learn how to moderate group discussions and organize both outreach and psychosocial education activities for children and adults. In total, the two training sessions had the participation of 33 volunteers: psychologists, social workers, psychology teachers, students and local government officials.
After the training was completed, the ICRC held a focus group to learn first-hand about the experience of those who had fled to the Republic of Moldova from Ukraine. Participants were asked what they needed and whether they had access to mental health services.
#Republic #Moldova #children #express #hopes #fears #future