CANADIAN DISASTER CHILD CARE SOCIETY
Kosovar Response
|
Kosovar Response
|
|
|
OPERATION PARASOL WORKING WITH KOSOVAR REFUGEE CHILDREN MAY 1999 CDCC childcare centres were located at:
Citizenship and Immigration Canada invited Disaster Child to set-up childcare facilities on military bases in Ontario and the Maritimes. Canada was preparing to receive more than 7,000 Kosovars whose homeland was enveloped by civil war. Caregivers volunteered over 1600 hours at Base Borden and 2300 hours at the Kingston Base. Our story comes from Base Bordon near Barrie, Ontario. The newly arrived families arrived in a state of shock due to the upheaval that dominated their lives. Even after only two months in refugee camps the children displayed ‘institutionalized’ behavior as they lined up for basic everyday activities such as meals, equipment, supplies. They were not boisterous children but approached their day in a very unattached and emotionless manner. As children and their parents began to trust us, the childcare centre became a of consistency and normalcy. The children now lined up every morning before our doors opened so they could be the first into our room. Some days we were full to capacity and could not accept all of the children. It was heart-breaking to see their faces outside the window as they stared inside our room hoping that someone would leave and then it would be their turn. Our hearts were wrenched when an 11 year old girl broke down in tears as the children sang their national anthem during sing-a-long. The words that came through the interpreter as this little girl gasped for the air to tell her story, were haunting and horrific. The little girl told the story of how she saw “soldiers throwing babies in the river”. Another child, 10 years old, drew pictures of tanks surrounding his neighborhood. The image was further depicted by burning houses and vibrant red dots filling the page to symbolized bloodshed. As the children began to feel safe, their traumatic memories were beginning to surface. Safety and acceptance gave them permission to tell of the horror they had experienced. Many just wanted to be held. As time went on, the horrific pictures of red and black began were interspersed with pictures of houses that were not on fire, sunshine, flowers and people who were not bleeding. As time progressed there were more smiles and laughter as children were able to ‘let go’ of the trauma for a moment. Jacqueline Fayant, a CDCC volunteer and social work student from Edmonton, was a lead caregiver at Base Bordon, during Operation Parasol in 1999. Marlene Mulder managed CDCC responses at the Montreal Ice Storms and Operation Parasol.
|
|
Send mail to
disasterchildcare@shaw.ca with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
