Article-
Emergencies happen at a particular time in the life of a person or a community. People are born before (or during!) the emergency and most will live after the emergency is over. The circumstances of our lives at the time of an emergency influence our experience of it – and its impact on our later life.
A child born in a refugee camp, for example, will have a very different memory of the emergency than the mother of that child who was raped prior to arrival. A shopkeeper who loses his entire life work will have different needs than a young adult just starting a career.
The negative effects of disasters are obvious, such as loss of family members and destruction of homes and businesses. But there can be positive impacts as well. A family that has long lived in poverty may have new opportunities for a better life after resources flow in after a disaster. Or a woman may find new dignity in being able to earn income after undergoing a culturally-sensitive training programme.
For an individual, the long-term effects are moderated most by the support of family and community. Families and communities are made up of people of all different ages with different relationships. Through these social networks, people both give and receive support, which contributes to healing and restoration of a functional life. We need to support these restorative social networks. People of all ages should be welcomed into the healing process, because they all have things to contribute.
Emergencies are an opportunity to develop skills and learn methods that will help throughout life. One of the most important is resilience – a skill vital to recovery from the current emergency, and to coping with future challenges.
No comments:
Post a Comment