Despite the destruction and mayhem caused by an earthquake, what many may not immediately be aware of, or even think of, is the extremely traumatic and physiological aspects and harm done to those who experience this kind of disaster first hand and up close.
Even more so, for the children who have no bearing or even any real understanding of what is actually happening, and what is continuing to happen to them can be both very harmful and long lasting. These adverse effects were the root idea behind an outing we took as a BIA Bodhisattvas In Action relief team yesterday. Something that I would never have thought of, something that after seeing its amazing success I am convinced needs to be continued, something that brings a great deal of benefit and joy: providing therapy to young children through art and creative expression to help heal their wounded little hearts. So this is what we did.
Arriving in the village of Sakhu, about an hour from the city we set up two tents in the then pouring rain. Bringing with us bags of art supplies, colored paper and pencils, watercolors, snacks, juiceboxes and all the energy we could prepare. The arrival of the village children was like an onslaught of laughter and mayhem unlike anything I have experienced of late, or maybe ever. There were so many of them, more than 100, running in all directions, screaming and laughing, pulling on each other, scrambling to come and say hi to us all. Even with the downpour their faces were positively beaming. They were electric. I haven’t seen faces this happy and quite literally exploding with joy in my lifetime. Eyes bright and full of wonder as the “obviously” crazy tattooed American guy passed through them, scrambling and fighting over each other to get in front of the camera, smiling from ear to ear. Such personality, such amazing little hearts capable of so much strength. These were the smiles of children simply so excited to see people coming to spend time with them. Normal time, creative time, bringing their now crushed and tattered lives back to normalcy, even if only for a few hours. The contentment of being given something sweet to eat, paper and pencil to draw with, paint and color to create with - as the rain finally stopped they settled into the first activity looking mesmerized and extremely content to be hanging out in the afternoon sun and just drawing whatever came to their heads. And what they drew had us all in tears. Among the assorted drawings every one of them contained two unmistakable items: a house with a family in it, and a Nepalese flag. They have lost their homes, their families have been torn apart or destroyed, and even on some unconscious level they have a strong love for their beautiful country - and imprinted in their heads in such a traditional and touchingly picturesque image of a family, and such a desire for a normal life.
One villager parent told me that they were all very worried about the children, that they weren’t sleeping well, nightmares for many, obviously really shaken up by what had happened to them. Post traumatic Stress and built up nervousness and anxiety can be detrimental to a child, many of them under the age of five years old. This simple activity of letting them put their emotions onto paper, to share with us what they have experienced and what continues to bother and perturb them is of such great importance. Being together, laughing, drawing, dancing, singing, letting it all out is a very powerful activity and the result was immediately visible. You could see it on their faces, they needed to feel normal, and so this is what we tried to give them. The same villager parent at the end of our stay came up to me and explained how much the children loved all of this, and that they were asking if we were coming back again tomorrow. She told me that she could see her child’s face changing, a bit of its youthful innocence and softness had returned, and for this she was extremely grateful and truly touched. This new approach to creative joy therapy will now become a staple and cornerstone activity in our relief efforts here at Bodhisattvas In Action. While many are bringing trucks full of tents, food and medical supplies we have an opportunity to bring something else along with us, a supplement to the sustenance and survival supplies considered needed and irreplaceable, something that is just as needed and beneficial. We are trying to bring hope. We are trying to help bring their lives back to them, lives that have been torn away. Lives that remain under a shadow of fear and the anxiety of the unknown. We are trying to help these children feel like children again. Full of life and joy, with their whole lives ahead of them - a little joy therapy can go a long way.
Even more so, for the children who have no bearing or even any real understanding of what is actually happening, and what is continuing to happen to them can be both very harmful and long lasting. These adverse effects were the root idea behind an outing we took as a BIA Bodhisattvas In Action relief team yesterday. Something that I would never have thought of, something that after seeing its amazing success I am convinced needs to be continued, something that brings a great deal of benefit and joy: providing therapy to young children through art and creative expression to help heal their wounded little hearts. So this is what we did.
Arriving in the village of Sakhu, about an hour from the city we set up two tents in the then pouring rain. Bringing with us bags of art supplies, colored paper and pencils, watercolors, snacks, juiceboxes and all the energy we could prepare. The arrival of the village children was like an onslaught of laughter and mayhem unlike anything I have experienced of late, or maybe ever. There were so many of them, more than 100, running in all directions, screaming and laughing, pulling on each other, scrambling to come and say hi to us all. Even with the downpour their faces were positively beaming. They were electric. I haven’t seen faces this happy and quite literally exploding with joy in my lifetime. Eyes bright and full of wonder as the “obviously” crazy tattooed American guy passed through them, scrambling and fighting over each other to get in front of the camera, smiling from ear to ear. Such personality, such amazing little hearts capable of so much strength. These were the smiles of children simply so excited to see people coming to spend time with them. Normal time, creative time, bringing their now crushed and tattered lives back to normalcy, even if only for a few hours. The contentment of being given something sweet to eat, paper and pencil to draw with, paint and color to create with - as the rain finally stopped they settled into the first activity looking mesmerized and extremely content to be hanging out in the afternoon sun and just drawing whatever came to their heads. And what they drew had us all in tears. Among the assorted drawings every one of them contained two unmistakable items: a house with a family in it, and a Nepalese flag. They have lost their homes, their families have been torn apart or destroyed, and even on some unconscious level they have a strong love for their beautiful country - and imprinted in their heads in such a traditional and touchingly picturesque image of a family, and such a desire for a normal life.
One villager parent told me that they were all very worried about the children, that they weren’t sleeping well, nightmares for many, obviously really shaken up by what had happened to them. Post traumatic Stress and built up nervousness and anxiety can be detrimental to a child, many of them under the age of five years old. This simple activity of letting them put their emotions onto paper, to share with us what they have experienced and what continues to bother and perturb them is of such great importance. Being together, laughing, drawing, dancing, singing, letting it all out is a very powerful activity and the result was immediately visible. You could see it on their faces, they needed to feel normal, and so this is what we tried to give them. The same villager parent at the end of our stay came up to me and explained how much the children loved all of this, and that they were asking if we were coming back again tomorrow. She told me that she could see her child’s face changing, a bit of its youthful innocence and softness had returned, and for this she was extremely grateful and truly touched. This new approach to creative joy therapy will now become a staple and cornerstone activity in our relief efforts here at Bodhisattvas In Action. While many are bringing trucks full of tents, food and medical supplies we have an opportunity to bring something else along with us, a supplement to the sustenance and survival supplies considered needed and irreplaceable, something that is just as needed and beneficial. We are trying to bring hope. We are trying to help bring their lives back to them, lives that have been torn away. Lives that remain under a shadow of fear and the anxiety of the unknown. We are trying to help these children feel like children again. Full of life and joy, with their whole lives ahead of them - a little joy therapy can go a long way.
