Psychosocial
support for people affected by the years of conflict in Sri
Lanka is being adapted and applied to help survivors of the
tsunami in that country.
The Danish Red Cross has been a partner with the Sri Lanka Red
Cross since 2003 in a programme assisting children affected
by the conflict in the far north of Sri Lanka in Jaffna.
Danish Red Cross advisor in Jaffna Karin Eriksen says the programme
is now being utilised to get people through their experiences
of the tsunami.
“We see the same psychosocial problems after the tsunami
as we saw after the conflict. But there is a greater sense of
guilt and grief after the tsunami,” she says.
“They ask themselves ‘why did I go to the market
and leave the children alone?’, or they blame others –
‘why didn’t you hold on better to our daughter?’
In war there is something more physical to blame it on. It is
difficult to blame it on the sea, because the sea is what brings
many of these families their daily income,” says Eriksen.
The healing begins
In Colombuthurai School in Jaffna, 17 children in white school
uniforms sit on straw mats on the floor in their new school
building. The children are having lunch and giggling happily
between mouthfuls of rice and curry. Outside, the ruins of the
old school bear the scars from the years of conflict.
“Close your eyes and think about the feelings that you
go through during a day. Draw the one feeling that you can’t
forget,” teacher V.R. Gnanapragasam instructs them. Some
children draw happy faces. Many draw faces that express anger,
or have tears running down the cheeks.
The children from Colombuthurai have been displaced five times
as a result of Sri Lanka’s 20-year-long conflict. In 2003
they came back for good. But Gnanapragasam says the return did
not solve all the problems.
“The students’ habits were good before, but after
the displacements they have had a lot of problems and the education
level had gone down. They didn’t do their homework, they
didn’t listen,” says Gnanapragasam.
According to the UN, more than 90 percent of Jaffna’s
population have been displaced at least once because of the
conflict, with over 65,000 people still not able to return to
their homes. The displacement, loss of loved ones, property
and income and the destruction of social structures, cause stress
for both adults and children.
“A new environment itself is a stress, adjusting is always
difficult,” says Kohila Mahendran, trainer counsellor
from the local psychosocial NGO, Shanthiham. “In addition,
alcoholism in the family affects a lot of children in Jaffna.
Many adults suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders and
the parents’ problems spill over on the children.”
Responding to new needs
Based on experiences in the Balkans and the Middle East, the
Danish Red Cross, in agreement with the Sri Lanka Red Cross
Society, set up a psychosocial programme in 2003 for conflict-affected
children in Jaffna.
To date 85 teachers from 19 schools have been given basic psychosocial
training, and have learnt how to use play therapy, art therapy,
dancing and traditional exercises with the children. A total
of 2,800 children and 4,000 parents are expected to take part
in the activities in 2005 and 2006.
When the tsunami hit, the Danish Red Cross together with the
SLRCS refocused their efforts and put together a 10-day training
programme to be able to respond to the new needs. Sixty-nine
Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers from the severely tsunami-affected
districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, in addition to
four from Jaffna, were trained and have started psychosocial
activities to help people process their experiences. Activities
have also started in the district of Hambantota.
The Danish Red Cross’ Karin Eriksen notes that people
in the area were already vulnerable psychologically.
“It is one thing to cope with one event such as a lost
family member or displacement due to the conflict. Having to
go through difficult situations again and again can reduce your
abilities to cope and can lead to psychological stress,”
she says.
Teachers and parents have been positive about the Red Cross
programme, and say that the children’s behaviour has improved
since the activities started. In some schools, the attendance
during the normal school hours has even gone up as a result
of the programme.
“Some students were not talking to each other or with
the teachers. Now they are,” says teacher Gnanapragasam
in Colombuthurai. “The activities are good because they
give children more relief than what they get at home. Now they
come and tell us about their problems.”
Experts estimate that following a disaster, five-10 per cent
of the affected population will develop psychological problems.
This number is likely to be higher if appropriate support is
not given. In 2003, the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) reported
that 25 per cent of Jaffna’s children have been affected
psychologically by the conflict.
Before finishing for the day, the children in Colombuthurai
are asked to make clay figures. Some make figures of animals
or household objects. Thirteen-year-old Gajenthan makes a little
figure of someone who has lost an arm and a leg. “It is
a tsunami victim”, he explains. His sister got injured
during the disaster.
Gajenthan wins the prize for today for sharing his feelings,
and is applauded by all the children. He has made a small step
towards processing what’s troubling his mind. With time,
it is hoped that he and the other children will not bear the
scars of conflict or natural disaster.
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Children
in Colombuthurai School express themselves through drawings
and artwork (p12746)
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Karin
Eriksen from Danish Red Cross discusses the psychosocial
programme with Sister Antonita Mark, headmistress of one
of the tsunami-affected schools in Point Pedro, Jaffna
(p12747)
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V.R.
Gnanapragasam (second from right) from Colombuthurai School
meets other teachers participating in the psychosocial
programme run by the Sri Lanka Red Cross and Danish Red
Cross (p12748)
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