5 minutes of psychosocial help for children in Congo-Kinshasa

Strengthening children mentally through play and exercise

Stress & trauma management for children in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Mado is eight years old and comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo. When the rebels came, Mado had to flee with her mother. "When we got here, Mado was exhausted, sad and scared," her mother remembers. A little later, Mado began to take part in a program to empower children. There, she can take part in regular sessions with other children that help them to perceive their feelings and strengthen their resilience. Mado experiences a feeling of security and community and can simply be a child again. She shakes off the traumatic experiences for a moment by playing her favorite games. "Then I forget the war for a while and am happy," says Mado. Her nightmares are also slowly fading. "Sometimes I dream that I work in a hospital, like my aunt. She's a doctor. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up, but I know that I want to be like her."

Sascha from the band Madsen presents his favorite project

need

Psychosocial support for children affected by conflict

activity

Structured, non-verbal, movement, play and theme-related activities are organized for children affected by conflict

Measurable performance

Number of children given the opportunity to participate in the TeamUp program

Result

The feeling of security, social connectedness and a positive attitude and self-regulation grows in the children, they learn various practices for stress management

Systemically relevant impact

Improving the psychosocial well-being and resilience of affected children

background

Due to conflicts between armed groups and the government, as well as natural disasters, the population in the Fizi region of the DR Congo has repeatedly had to flee to other locations within the country and to neighboring countries. Life is difficult for the refugees because they have not only lost their homes. Many of them do not have enough money for regular meals or new clothes. Many children are also affected (UN OCHA 2023; UN OCHA 2022). The stress, the escape, the sadness about leaving their home and the uncertain future have a negative impact on their well-being and behavior. For example, many of the children become angry and aggressive or stop speaking. The TeamUp method was developed to provide sustainable support to these children. It supports the children in strengthening their psychosocial health and resilience and improving their well-being. During the weekly TeamUp sessions, the children take part in structured play and movement activities led by trained facilitators. Each activity has a specific goal related to a concrete topic, e.g. B. dealing with anger or stress and interacting with peers. The sessions, which are regularly checked and documented, work without a common language and are inclusive. All children can participate - even if they do not speak the same language. This measure is of great importance given the behavioral problems that the children already exhibit and for which the parents, if they have them, are unable to provide help. The concept is coordinated with the UN Strategy 2023-2024, which also aims to meet the basic needs, the safety of children and their physical and mental well-being. The protection of children is to be significantly improved through fair and safe access to high-quality social and health services for all children and young people living in conflict areas or who have had to flee (United Nations DRC, 2023).

Fizi and Nundu Health Zone, Fizi Territory, South Kivu State

The good deed

With the help of today's good deed, moderators (volunteers and teachers) are trained in the TeamUp method and how to deal safely with the children. The activities are carried out in sessions together with the children aged between 6 and 18 in safe places within the communities. The trained full-time project staff manage and supervise the implementation of the program. Suitable play materials such as tires or ropes are made available to the children and the TeamUp moderators. The instructors also have the task of identifying the children who have particularly serious psychosocial problems during the activities and, if necessary, referring them to trained psychologists, for example. During the joint activities, the children learn to deal with their feelings. They are supported in reducing stress and tension in the body, feeling safe and passing this feeling on to others.

About the Democratic Republic of Congo