As most experts would claim, in any tragic incident, children are the most affected individual.  Yet, oftentimes, their needs are disregarded due to their inability to express the need for intervention for  their feelings and emotions.

Prompted by concern for these ‘silent victims’, the camp management team of the Zamboanga East West Central School evacuation center organized a draw and tell activity last March 23.

Fifteen kids with ages 6-7 years old participated.  Most of them came from Rio Hondo and Mariki which were two of the six affected barangays.

Known to be the ‘silent victims’, these children witnessed the Zamboanga conflict in September last year after alleged troops of the Moro National Liberation Front assaulted some parts of the city.

The social workers who administered the activity revealed that the kids showed interest and were so active and participative during the session.

“Our instruction was for them to draw what’s in their minds but we were surprised when most of them sketched houses”, said  Airene Faustino, one of the social workers.

The team further revealed that during the ‘telling’ part, the kids divulged that they miss home but mentioned that “its magulo” (chaotic) in their place.

One of the kids, Anthony, also drew a house with persons apparently leaving the place and confirming this during the presentation.  In Samal dialect, he explained that the persons are his sister Angela, his parents and himself leaving their house on their way to ‘boulevard’.  (or Cawa-cawa which has become one of the evacuation sites)

Two of the participants drew airplanes and helicopters. When asked why, they uttered “Kasi yan ang nakita namin” (That is what we saw).

The team said they felt happy because despite the experiences of the participants the children could still express their thoughts in simple drawings with smiles on their faces.

The kids also enjoyed the icebreakers through poems and songs “Kumusta ka” and “Sampung Palaka”.

Psychotherapy through ‘draw and tell’ is generally applied to children encouraging release of thoughts, feelings and opinions based on experiences that are usually tragic.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) provided the materials like crayons, pencils and papers which were given as gifts to the kids after the activity.### (Airine Faustino and Narrabelle Bue)