Naresh Newar's 'Keep kids out of it' (#167) identifies a critical problem that Save the Children US, BASE, NNSWA, NRCS, SAFE and TWUC are addressing. In August, we began a community-based psychosocial intervention for children who have been affected by the conflict called Sanjivani, or 'New Life'. Adapted from programs designed by The Center for Trauma Psychology, Sanjivani is a five-week, 15 session intervention for groups of 8-20 children. While this program may not work for children who have been severely affected by trauma, it has shown excellent results for children who have been generally affected. Using artwork, drama, music and games, children explore different emotions and issues. The program helps children to feel secure, improve their self-esteem, explore their feelings and teaches them coping strategies. Local community members, not professional psychologists, are trained to be the facilitators during a 10-day program. This is highly practical, since there are only a few trained psychologists in Nepal. But perhaps more importantly, it involves the community in the healing of its children. As your article pointed out, "emotional support from the community is what is missing in many parts of the country."

Anjalee Thakali Shakya and Tory Clawson,
Kathmandu