 Summary
When we saw Yu Xiaoyan, she was crying, nestled up to a psychological support volunteer. Since her mother is no where to be found, she has been depressed and the support of volunteers seems to be of little help. Currently, there are two types of mental problems among the children at the relocation site: one is the concerns for family members and the other is the yearning for peers and school life. They really need the help of professionals.
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Yu Xiaoyan 's Story
“I just know that the child’s name is Yu Xiaoyan and that her mother is missing. As to other information like her father, other families and her house, she just keeps silent. The only thing I can do is to quietly accompany her and give her support and comfort.
She is in a terrible mood, and she cries all the time. She doesn’t understand why so many searchers can’t find her mother in Beichuan. She said she would rather die here if they can’t find her mother.
We began one-on-one psychological support at this relocation site yesterday, primarily in order to gain a general picture of the site. The site sees a large number of kids from Beichuan, including some orphans. Currently, our key target groups are the most vulnerable groups, including children, seniors and women. Everyone’s situation is unique, as are their concerns. The concerns of some elders and women are very specific, such as local funeral customs. We would never know what they are thinking if we didn’t communicate with them.
“The children mainly have two types of emotions. One is the anguish of losing loved ones. Many kids are worried about their missing families because they had been urgently transferred to the site from severely affected areas. The other emotion is the yearning for teachers and students or peers. For kids, the sense of companion is quite important. Young children have little experience of disasters, so it will be to their benefit if we can help them integrate themselves among their peer group.
 Besides, some children can become aggressive because of the concerns for families, and this can be very dangerous. Internationally, some experts have concluded that the tragedy in early childhood will make approximately 30-50% of affected children live in a shadow the rest of their lives, and those who turned aggressive are prone to have long-term psychological problems."
Interview conducted by Li Yahui, during an assignment to Sichuan Province, on May 16, 2008.
Pictured Above:
Xiaoyan is comforted by a Save the Children relief worker
Pictured Left :
The kids are writing encouraging words on the “wish wall” at the relocation site
(Photos: Save the Children)
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