Hi John, After four days of hiding in the bush with her six-year-old daughter and infant son, Mariana finally felt secure enough to return to her home. What she found was devastating. Insurgents had killed her husband and burned all of their possessions."I didn't even have a wrap for my baby," Mariana said. "I had nothing." Mariana's province in Mozambique, Cabo Delgado, has been in the grip of conflict between the government and extremist insurgents for years, and the conflict has left her daughter Clara hungry. The conflict has made it harder for Mariana to find food, but it's more than just that. Clara doesn't have any interest in food at all.  Trauma can have both mental and physical effects, and lately we're seeing reports of a lack of interest in food among the children in Cabo Delgado. The children of Cabo Delgado, when they do make it to safety, need to be coaxed to eat and take the food provided for them. The children in Cabo Delgado are suffering intense, active trauma every day. There are at least 364,000 children like Clara, who need urgent intervention as quickly as possible, and we need your help to get to them. Clementina, a child protection worked in Cabo Delgado for Save the Children, has worked with 35 children who have suffered trauma from this conflict. She says they don't act like healthy children. "They show signs they're afraid. They don't have the will to eat or to play because they're thinking about the past, about their parents, about their brothers and sisters. They think about their family. The children are broken-hearted and it's impacting on their mental health and wellbeing." Workers like Clementina are providing mental health services for children traumatized by the conflict in Cabo Delgado to encourage them to eat. We believe these children can learn how to process their trauma and eventually recover enough to lead healthy lives, but we can't reach them without your support. Cabo Delgado is just one example of how mental health care is vital for keeping children physically healthy. Will you make it possible for Clementina and her colleagues to reach more children with critical mental health care? If you would be willing, become a monthly donor today and help give children like Clementina the resources to take care of more children. Become a monthly donor today >> Thank you, Cassidy Knize Digital Manager Save the Children US |
|
