Psychosocial support for Typhoon Yolanda victims

On November 8th 2013, the Philippines was devastated by what is called the most powerful typhoon to have made landfall in modern times. With sustained winds of over 200 kph (peaking at 315 kph), typhoon Haiyan, locally called Yolanda, killed over 6,000 people, injuring more than 27,000 others, displacing approximately four million people, and affecting a grand total of 16 million people.

The devastation of typhoon Yolanda left many traumatized. IsraAID, in partnership with local municipalities, developed a psychosocial program which provides support to thosewhosuffered from the typhoon and trains professionals about Mental Health Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in order to close the gap in support for the most vulnerable.

The methodology of the program is to provide psychosocial support training using expressive arts. In the wake of typhoon Yolanda, many citizens in the affected area experienced anxiety over what had happened in the past and what the future holds. Through the expressive arts – visual art, movement, drama, psychodrama, and music – participants have been able to relate to their experiences. The expressive arts enable a much deeper exploration of different feelings and experiences can be expressed concurrently and worked through both consciously and unconsciously. Working in groups, the participants learn from each other, support each other, problem solve together, and create a peer support system. All of this is done using projective expressive arts (non-verbal) and sharing and discussion (verbal). The response from our participants has been overwhelmingly positive.

The programwas first implement in Ormoc city and was divided into three main stages. IsraAID wishes to expand the program in other cities and to duplicate it in order for other communities to be able to benefit from it. Currently IsraAID is extending the program to another nearbycity, wishing to implement it in the public's schools there. Stage one and two are finished and currently IsraAID is working on stage three.

Stage three began in June of 2015 and has been carried out in collaboration with the Department of Education. It included a pilot program, designed to integrate PSS expressive arts activities for students, into the public school system. After a successful pilot program implemented in four schools, IsraAID trained additional teachers and guidance counselors to take part in an expanded implementation program, providing psychosocial activities in 20 public schools. After the expansion, and during the summer break, IsraAID in collaboration with the municipal department of education planed the institutionalization of these activities to school system as a whole, and trained additional teachers and guidance counselors.  

IsraAID is working to institutionalize this program by working closely with the Department of Education. The program has already been institutionalized in all of the Ormoc's public schools. The scope of beneficiaries stands at about 100 schools with thousands of students reached.

The direct beneficiaries are both the trainee teachers and counselors as well as the students in Ormoc city public schools that are receiving eightpsychosocial activities in every grade though. The indirect beneficiaries are those who have personal ties with the individuals that were trained by IsraAID or participated in the activities. We often hear stories from those who participate in the activities, how they used what they learned in their personal life.

Lean (name changed) is one of the core team members who was trained in the first batch and has facilitated groups since then. A few months ago Lean's mother got ill and needed the assistance of the family for a few weeks. Lean shared her experience with the other members of the core team about that period of time. She told them how hard it was for her to see her mother not capable of working and to do the things she used to. Moreover, she expressedhow hard it was for her other family members. Despite the difficulty she was able to recognize her feelings and deploy techniques she learned. In addition, she was better able to support her family and assists them in dealing with the unwelcome challenge. Lean said that her training and experience in the MHPSS program was the reason she was able to act as she did in that situation and that her emotional resistance is more durable.

IsraAID's wishes to expand and to institutionalize the MHPSS program with the education department in other municipalities. IsraAID is in the process of duplicating the successful program that was conducted in Ormoc to a nearby city. The ultimate goal of the program is to integrate the program on a national level incorporating it into the public school curriculum in the Philippines.