What are we doing during the coronavirus pandemic?
Like all charities, this is a difficult time for us to be continuing with our work of training people to treat trauma in children. Our conference in Uganda, which was to have begun in two weeks’ time, has of course been cancelled. But unlike many charities, we carry virtually no overhead costs so if we cannot run courses or conferences, we are not losing money and can emerge again intact when the crisis is over. But we don’t want you to think we are doing nothing! We are doing our best to support all our trained practitioners all over the world, who will be so needed to treat the high levels of PTSD which will inevitably arise among children and their families as a result of the pandemic. We are also developing ways in which our practitioners can work with children, and each other, using secure online platforms. In addition we are working on new training materials for use when we can resume our training courses and in particular, we hope soon to be able to pilot a new anxiety protocol, which our partners in Turkey asked us to develop. In many ways this is the perfect time to update all our written documents and materials and improve our online presence and skills. In addition, with the help of an MSc student from Sussex University we are evaluating the impact of our training in Armenia last November and are planning to return there for our follow-up work as soon as we possibly can. So, we are preparing ourselves to meet the challenges of life after the pandemic which will no doubt be very different for us all.
Here are some personal perspectives from three of our lead trainers:
Elias Byaruhanga
Mbarara, Uganda
I live in Mbarara, in the west of Uganda. Life here is rather hard. The lockdown is on and curfew is strictly enforced. Travel is difficult and only allowed if it is an emergency, especially pregnant mothers. The few vehicles on the road have to have special permission from the local authority.
Shops have been closed except supermarkets and food markets. Essential services like health, water, electricity have been allowed to operate. Official transport for the staff has been arranged. People are asked to remain at home. People are worried, anxious and desperate. Some regions have set up psychosocial response teams in which colleagues are participating. People have been admitted to hospital with C-19, but there have been no reported deaths as yet (end April).
We extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and all peoples affected and afflicted. Our hearts are with you. God bless you big!!! Stay healthy, stay safe.
Dr Ghalia Al Asha
Amman, Jordan
I am lucky to live in a nice area of Amman where the people here seem happy and able to adapt to the lockdown. They are spending time daily doing exercise in the spare air and they accompany their children while they are riding a bicycle. All people here are committed to protective measures such as social distance while they are waiting to buy from the mini-market in our street and wearing masks.
But the picture is not the same when I go one day weekly with my husband as volunteers in cooperation with a local charity organization to supply some poor people with fundamental needs. We go walking on the foot for more than 3 hours because transportation is not allowed. The streets in those poor areas are very narrow and it is impossible to maintain distance while people want to buy from the small shops. It is very rare to see someone who wears mask, they seem very stressed, no smile on their faces.
I have met many people and ask them about their lives. They describe it as miserable, homes in such poor regions are small and narrow and this increases the fighting and violence among families, especially the children they could not play outdoor as they used to do. They say: no money, no job, so how can we live, how can we pay the rent of our home? They seem very worried about being infected with the virus but the miserable economic situation is more worrying.
I hope you and your loved ones are fine and free of Coronavirus.
Shellee Burroughs
Exeter, UK
I live near the coast on the outskirts of Exeter which is in the South West of England. Beaches, woodland, moorland and picture postcard towns and villages make this area very popular with holidaymakers and the lockdown restrictions are having some very interesting results.
Firstly, where did all the bikes come from? People, children, families, it seems that many people prefer to social distance whilst whizzing along cycle paths and being able to ride around those walking instead. At times it’s good to see people outside but on tiny paths it can make social distancing almost impossible.
Secondly, independent local food and drink businesses appear to be extremely busy with their own online delivery slots-which is a huge help for those unable to order from the supermarkets. Most of these shops know their customers personally which has been a huge help for many of those living alone or self-isolating.
Thirdly, there is a very high percentage of senior citizens living in my area and many are self- isolating. Watching my community coming together to support vulnerable groups (including those without access to the internet) has been a wonderful experience and one which I will never forget.
Currently I am lucky enough to live in an area which has access to a variety of support options but I am seeing young adults and teenagers increasingly struggling with lockdown rules now that the beautiful spring weather is upon us. The best in people is coming out and I am mindful that this is a marathon and not a sprint and that holidaymakers have been told to stay away from the area as we do not have the medical resources to cope.
I am also aware that this pandemic will have a disproportionate effect on the most vulnerable in every society, and on essential workers on the front line of care. There’s a very good article in Psychology Today which talks about this and the enormous amount of trauma that will be its legacy. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/hyphenated/202004/how-collective-is-the-trauma-covid-19?eml&fbclid=IwAR2BvcWAwNpqm2JYrVCy-791xieXdOPbJJtN59pMPQzATo-_vtHCDamy75g
The article ends by saying: We must acknowledge the psychological toll that the pandemic is inflicting on essential workers and those who cannot afford to socially distance. We are all going through significant trauma at this time, but we must understand that for some of us this trauma will be magnified.