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vivo international offers psychological support and trauma therapy to victims of a flood disaster in Bujumbura, Burundi.
Supervision of the therapists
Heavy rains in February 2014 flooded several districts in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi. About 12 500 people lost their homes and more than 60 people died. Amongst those 52 were children under the age of 10 years. In the aftermath, people were provided with shelter, food and fresh water in the following three districts of Bujumbura: Gatunguru, Kinama and Buterere. However, the people are not only affected as a consequence of the flood disaster. Most of them are also marked by the terror of the civil war, which lasted more than 13 years and ended only a few years ago. Subsequently many people suffer from trauma-related disorders. Responding to a request of the Red Cross Burundi, vivo international in collaboration with the University of Lumière de Bujumbura and the University of Konstanz, offers psychological support to the victims of the natural disaster.
Emergency camp
In order to provide prompt psychological support to the most affected inhabitants, the three organizations selected their most experienced staff members. Intensive training courses in the Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), as well as weekly supervision with experienced therapists like vivo-member Dr Anselm Crombach ensure the adherence to the therapeutic guidelines as well as the quality of the psychological support.
In spring 2014, more than 50 clinical interviews have been conducted with victims of the flood. Many of the examined individuals lost their children or close relatives due to the catastrophe. NET was offered to those 15 individuals suffering most severely from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Victims of the flood
After three months vivo international offered again diagnostic interviews to the survivors of the flood, in order to follow their long-term development and to assess potential need for further therapeutic interventions. The suffering from trauma-symptoms drooped clearly. The therapies helped the victims of the flood disaster to deal with and process their traumatic memories.
The situation of the flood victims remains difficult. The emergency camps were closed and the people went back to their neighbourhood. Many of the persons concerned still live in severe poverty and difficult circumstances. The end of the grieving period is arriving and many survivors of the flood are occupied with saying goodbye to their deceased family members. This celebration in honour of the deceased is an important tradition of the Burundian culture to say goodbye to beloved people. The therapists offer psychological counselling and to accompany the bereaved to ceremony. For traumatised victims of the flood, who have not yet received therapy, further NETs were offered.
The treated victims were very grateful and underlined again the necessity of the psychological and therapeutic support. “What use does money have if it is lying around at my home when I am feeling so bad?”, in this way a woman explained that money can’t make up for the benefit of therapy. vivo international continues to support the victims of the flood to process their memories and to find a way back into life.
vivo international offers psychological support and trauma therapy to victims of a flood disaster in Bujumbura, Burundi.
Supervision of the therapists
Heavy rains in February 2014 flooded several districts in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi. About 12 500 people lost their homes and more than 60 people died. Amongst those 52 were children under the age of 10 years. In the aftermath, people were provided with shelter, food and fresh water in the following three districts of Bujumbura: Gatunguru, Kinama and Buterere. However, the people are not only affected as a consequence of the flood disaster. Most of them are also marked by the terror of the civil war, which lasted more than 13 years and ended only a few years ago. Subsequently many people suffer from trauma-related disorders. Responding to a request of the Red Cross Burundi, vivo international in collaboration with the University of Lumière de Bujumbura and the University of Konstanz, offers psychological support to the victims of the natural disaster.
Emergency camp
In order to provide prompt psychological support to the most affected inhabitants, the three organizations selected their most experienced staff members. Intensive training courses in the Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), as well as weekly supervision with experienced therapists like vivo-member Dr Anselm Crombach ensure the adherence to the therapeutic guidelines as well as the quality of the psychological support.
In spring 2014, more than 50 clinical interviews have been conducted with victims of the flood. Many of the examined individuals lost their children or close relatives due to the catastrophe. NET was offered to those 15 individuals suffering most severely from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Victims of the flood
After three months vivo international offered again diagnostic interviews to the survivors of the flood, in order to follow their long-term development and to assess potential need for further therapeutic interventions. The suffering from trauma-symptoms drooped clearly. The therapies helped the victims of the flood disaster to deal with and process their traumatic memories.
The situation of the flood victims remains difficult. The emergency camps were closed and the people went back to their neighbourhood. Many of the persons concerned still live in severe poverty and difficult circumstances. The end of the grieving period is arriving and many survivors of the flood are occupied with saying goodbye to their deceased family members. This celebration in honour of the deceased is an important tradition of the Burundian culture to say goodbye to beloved people. The therapists offer psychological counselling and to accompany the bereaved to ceremony. For traumatised victims of the flood, who have not yet received therapy, further NETs were offered.
The treated victims were very grateful and underlined again the necessity of the psychological and therapeutic support. “What use does money have if it is lying around at my home when I am feeling so bad?”, in this way a woman explained that money can’t make up for the benefit of therapy. vivo international continues to support the victims of the flood to process their memories and to find a way back into life.
