By Catharina van den Bosch | Founder/Director
Traumatic experiences are very hard on children. You have only been on this earth for a few years and you have heard and seen things which just crush your trust in humankind.
A child comforting her mother who has been gangraped raped in front of her and is completely falling apart in front of her young daughter. The poor child is being traumatized herself, the mother is in hysterics and wounded from the assault. No help around, they both move on to a safer place where they will be able to hopefully find assistance. They have to move carefully to not be caught and further traumatized by more soldiers. Fear gives temporary strength, they both move, temporary numbed from all the distress, rushed by adrenaline to move to safety. Safety is their goal and when they finally manage to reach safety in the form of a camp for displaced people, the reality start to kick in.
Mum realizes what has happened, the nightmares make her go through the horrors again and again, she often wakes up crying and screaming and her young daughter who sleeps next to her is there to comfort her, to hug her, but it is not a healthy way to deal with the trauma. Due to the lack of sleep and the nightmares the mother becomes psychotic at times and more and more agressive towards her little girl, who doesn't understand why her mother has changed and as reaction the little traumatized girl starts to play up more. Mum knows she needs medical assistance for her wounds, she goes to the hospital and finds the courage to reveal why she has these injuries and she also is provided with mental health care. The care needs of the child are not being addressed.
The mother is not improving and needs better management of her problems in the safehouse for women, run by our organization. Her child is admitted as wel in the safehouse for children. The child is very withdrawn upon admission, at first she is not happy to be separated from her mum, but slowly she starts to relax, just not having to carry the responsibility to care for her mother is taking a load of her shoulders. Finally she feels taken serious, she gets the change to tell what she went though, what she saw and this affected her. She now can share about her own nightmares and depression. But at the same time she gets to play, do crafts, relax. Slowly the girl becomes a little girl again, her sleep is improving, she is enjoying the visits with her mother who is also improving. After three months both mother and daughter are able to leave together. A new bond has formed, a healthy mother/daughter relationship has been re-established and together they are able to face the world again, supporting eachother in a healthy manner!
Thank you for making it possible for us to assist the children and their families!
By Catharina van den Bosch | Founder/Director
By Catharina van den Bosch | Founder/Director
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