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Art therapy for African children in distress |
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MENA Dubai 2003 Abstract
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Zygmunt L. Ostrowski and Marie-Christine Josse
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In many African and Middle East countries, the number of victims of war, street children, and orphans of AIDS continue to increase. Art-therapy is an effective means to de-traumatise these children. It is easy to utilize and can be applied in rudimentary areas as well as in war zones.
Since 1992, The Association Européenne pour la dévelopment de l'Enfant (ADE) organised centres in Sudan and in Uganda for children in distress where these children obtained education, medical treatment, and psycho-pedagogic support. These centres for art-therapy (through painting, sculpture, etc.) allow children to express themselves, develop personal creativity and to discover their own talent.
In 10 years of experience with children in distress, the results were that the school level, children's level of education improved and that some of these children may have a promising future in their country. From the artistic point of view, the majority of these children continue to paint during their holidays and free time. The experience of ADE showed that in countries in war or in poor regions in Africa and the Middle East, art-therapy can play an important role in de-traumatizing children in distress and give them a good start in life. |
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