Children in Crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia

Sara is 11 years old. She lived in western Tigray. She grew up with her mother due to divorce and she does not know till now where her father is. Her mother cares for her in a good way before the war of Tigray. After the armed forces occupied their residential area Sara and her mother fled to other safe areas to save their life. After four months of stay they returned to their home but the armed forces abused physically and mentally as a result of their ethnicity. To escape from this abuse they also fled to shire internally displaced person’s site. In their journey the armed forces raped her mother and physically attacked  Sara. Due to shortage of food her mother also sends her to bring leftover foods and participate in begging activities in the internally displaced person’s site.

As the trauma started to affect Sara and her mother in a negative way, they were referred to the safe house.

After she was admitted we  assessed her and she had developed bedwetting, nightmare, begging mentality and blaming others due to the aforementioned problems. To bring psychosocial progress the following measures has been taken. She got basic service, recreational activities, informal education, life skill training and psychosocial support. In addition she got psychological first aid, guidance and training on coping mechanisms of bedwetting. After the effective intervention she stops bedwetting and reduce her psychological problems. We reintegrate her to the host community with her mother by giving parenting and business skill training, family counseling and cash support for income generating activities for her mother.

They receive regular follow-up visits and are found in a good situation.