Need for safe spaces for children in conflict areas.

Why do students in Sukma need safe spaces??

It was a regular school afternoon; the pre primary graders were playing some games when a vehicle stopped at the gate. We looked at it and saw some 5-6 men in uniform with rifles on their shoulders jumping out of their vehicle. We were watching them from a distance with questions running in our minds, “why are they here? What do they want? What are they asking locals??

What was the student’s reaction to this scene?

Within seconds, they all ran and sat in their classroom. They started finding their masks some grabbed any cloth or even covering their mouth with their hands. They were whispering speedily to each other,?

Kid 1: “Jaldi mask pehno nhi to vo aa jayenge”

Kid 2: “maine dekha hai unhe vo sheher mein pakad lete hai mask nhi pehna ho to”

Kid 3:? “didi vo humare gaav mein bhi aate hai, bahut dar lagta hai tab”?

One girl grabbed me tightly and requested me not to go outside. I was able to see sudden fear in their eyes as if the uniformed men are there to just punish them without any reason. They were preparing their best to not let them do that. They started sharing their past experiences with them filled with fear + rules+ powerful authority of those men.?

Why were those uniformed men outside school gate??

Those men have come there to set up a cemented water tank to be used by local community. They were talking with locals to find the right place and other resources. They continued coming for few days until the tank was established.?

How does trauma comes out into the classroom ??

This experience was one of the examples where the trauma is very much visible in their experiences, their body language, and their reactions to this situation. Another example which I have observed is through their arts and stories. There were examples when they were asked to draw something and create stories out of it. One student drew a man with rifles bending down and killing other men. Is this drawing result of their adverse childhood experiences or they might have seen it on Tv or mobile phone.? We need to observe this more closely in upcoming days and how frequent does these kinds of reflections are coming.?

Do we need safe spaces at school??

What was happening here? Those men have come with intention of helping community but this resulted in bringing sense of fear and insecurity among students. Being in a conflict zone the scenes of men in inform with arms is common here. They are sometimes seen on the roads, their camps and sometimes patrolling in the forest.?

What happened in the school was a result of their past experiences. They have grown up watching them moving with rifles, hearing stories of conflict. How do these elements impact the mental health of children? Does it leave a long term trauma inside them? How to create a safe space for them?? These are the questions we need to think and reflect when it comes to a school in a conflict zone.?

Written by Jaspreet Kaur , team @shiksharth