Our professor today, Cait McMahon, showed us this clip today. We were studying the causes, effects and triggers of trauma. Truama (from the Greek word wound) is something that doesn't go away - EVER! The permanency of trauma, especially with this generation in Palestine, is horrific! This clip is absolutely tragic and sad, but again, reality ...
The effect this video had on each individual in my class varied as it depended on what work or expereinces they've had, especially with children. Of course, I was sad - very sad ... But when I turned around to Manisha sniffling, only to see her eyes uncontrollably shed a constant stream of tears, I understood why she felt the way she felt. The video triggered images, voices and stories of children infected with HIV/AIDS. Manisha has seen children lying dead on the streets of Mozambique, has seen others parentless and days away from dying, and has touched others whose skin was covered with soars. One particular three-year old boy, Pinto, kept flashning back in her mind. She recalled caressing his face and touching his hair, only to have it come out in clumps ...
Here is a clip from her blog ...
Children Coping with Trauma
I am posting this while I am in class learning about the impact of trauma on children going through war. This video was shown in the class and it brought tears to me eyes. It took me back to my interview with the a family of six children in Mozambique, who had lost their parents to AIDS. And it reminded me of the coping mechanisms they used to survive. The 13 year old sister who would prostitute herself to feed her little siblings. I had asked her that time, why was she doing this knowing that it would expose her to HIV and kill her like her parents and she told me, either way, she and her family will die. At least she was preventing her family from dying of hunger. I thought it was a very powerful statement made by a 13 year old. (Manisha Javeri 8/27/10)
These children (particularly the Palestinian four year-old in the video) aren't children!!!!! They've been completely robbed from their childhood, a concept that the majority - if not all of us, will never be able to understand. How lucky we are!!!
