Support for helpers in Russian Red Cross projects

Transcription

1 Support for helpers in Russian Red Cross projects ENPS FORUM 2009, Dubrovnik (Croatia) Lilia Chibisenkova,DP/DR Department head, RRC HQ Beslan: 5 years after The tragedy divided Beslan into before and after in September Our life shall never be as it was before, so as there is no way to return many people, to change many things, so as. Life in Beslan goes on, it is not easy, we must be able to live with what has become after. This nightmare left its trace in the heart of each and everyone who happened to be there at the school seized by the barbarians. The people were got of the rails of their life. They lost their dearest people, in fact hundreds of human lives were ruined. Naturally this has changed peoplechildren as well as grown ups. Bitter tears are still being shed over the passed, the open body and soul wounds still hurt. The people look for the ways out of the impasse, that will help to overcome that heavy load of the destiny. 1

2 We are side by side, we are together! Our former officers and volunteers took an active part in the mourning activities. Streams of people from various parts of the Ossetia and RF regions went trough the school and the cemetery for three days. People of various nationalities, confessions and ages were united by general solidarity, empathy for the people, who went through the Hell on the Earth in the XXI century. What is the role of the Red Cross in your life after the tragedy? We took our son Azamat a first grade pupil to school, but our delight was not long Literally, within two hours we found ourselves in the paws of terrorists. Now when I talk about this, my heart is being wrung with pain, though five years have passed and all this comes up in my eyes as if it was yesterday. Our father Thzaplagov Timur was killed at the school. He and some other men were taken outside humiliated and shot. My son and I were also wounded. I would like to say that what a tremendous work was done by the psychologists of the Russian Red Cross Centre in Beslan. Many thanks to them for their understanding, consideration and patience. But for their help many people, affected by the disaster simply would not be able to stand the stress. My boy was afraid of everything for a long time, he would wake up at nights and cry out of fear, running to the entrance door. Thanks to our psychologists, Victorya Tibilova in particular, my son got rid of his fears. 2

3 A talk with Valentina Tetova, whose son Azamat and her mother were at the school and Valentina herself was seven months pregnant at the moment. Practically the Red Cross officers visited every home. With a tremendous feeling of empathy and charity they provided psychosocial help to all in need of such assistance. They would inspire belief in a happy future, gave us strength to overcome the loss and taught us to go on living. People go on coping with the problems and find ways in life. New babies, thoughts and feelings are born. As before children laugh, play. They began to value the relations with their friends, relatives and teachers and everything that surrounds them more and more. Bagaeva Alena was at school with three children I took to the first grade in school my daughter and son. The son came out without serious wounds, but I cold not save my girl I myself was hospitalized with heavy wounds, then I was taken to the Moscow clinic. I was told nothing about my daughter, I was told that she was in a state of shock at home and I would believe it. But when I entered my home I saw a photo of my daughter on her bed Then a scream, emptiness of the soul and no wish to live. I prayed God so that He would take me to Him, because the pain was devouring me form inside, I wanted to join my daughter. I would not wish such pain as the loss of a child even to my enemy. Yet the feeling of guilt for my inability to save my child would not leave me. 3

4 But Marina has impressed me more then usual, she is like my mother, I call her Mother even now. She faced the most difficult thing: my pain, tears, emotions, this is a very hard spiritual and emotional load. I saw how difficult it was for her, I cried and she cried, I suffered and she suffered. And when she hugged me, I closed my eyes and felt that I was loved and all around vanished, even pain in my soul would step aside a little. She literally made out of me another person. How? By her love and warmth! She eradiates some kind of light One can imagine what man can be, when he loses the most dear-a child. I did not live I existed until I got in touch with the Red Cross and Marina. My goal is to become a psychologist, the dream is to work in the Red Cross. Support for Helpers. Positive messages 1. Practical implementation of PSP support experience sharing. Beslan staff trained Novokuznetsk staff they, in their turn, trained those from Sayanogorsk but they transferred their own PSP experiences and skills. 2. We operate with PSP values of the Movement. An important message for PSP work with beneficiaries: You are not alone in critical situations. 3. Red Cross PSP helper is a delicate matter. Thorough selection of potential PSP staff is very important. What did we learn from Beslan-Novokuzntsk-Sayano- Shushenskaya station experience? It showed us the necessity of stress-resilience development, expanding PSP interventions in critical situations. 4

5 Support for Helpers. Challenges (1)Organizational problems that are to be solved in the future: To prevent recurrent stress in the helping staff by providing regular training: Startup Middle-term (correction) Closure (to ease tension). To look for training resources. (2) Content features : PSP experience differs from region to region Target groups differ, as well as their needs; so different kinds of keys are to be found for: older people, young widows, children, etc. The affected are not just a depersonalized group. Analytical efforts are to be taken in order to support specific target groups with specific services and approaches. Project staff training programme is adjusted to a specific target groups, so the demands are different. There should be a flexible approach to the helpers training and support. For example short-term intervention does not provide the content of dealing with a loss, which is to take around a year. Support for Helpers. Challenges (3) Continuity People are trained but the programme ends and then there s no opportunity to use these people s professional skills in RRC programmes. It s time to integrate PSP into other programmes. Methodical materials are required. We are planning to prepare them. It s necessary to analyze experiences and share them We suggest a conference that will include 2-hour RRC master-class Concept idea-methodology developed-practice-analyses- p after-action review We are ready to carry out a workshop and share our experience. We are ready to prepare a programme for a particular target group. For example for those in critical circumstances about such psychological impact as loss of self, loss of motivation to live. 5