From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester
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0:10 - 0:12Good morning.
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0:13 - 0:18Worldwide, over 1.5 billion people
experience armed conflict. -
0:19 - 0:22In response, people are forced
to flee their country, -
0:22 - 0:25leaving over 15 million refugees.
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0:26 - 0:27Children, without a doubt,
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0:27 - 0:30are the most innocent
and vulnerable victims ... -
0:31 - 0:33but not just from
the obvious physical dangers, -
0:33 - 0:37but from the often unspoken effects
that wars have on their families. -
0:38 - 0:42The experiences of war
leave children at a real high risk -
0:42 - 0:45for the development
of emotional and behavioral problems. -
0:46 - 0:48Children, as we can only imagine,
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0:48 - 0:50will feel worried, threatened and at risk.
-
0:51 - 0:52But there is good news.
-
0:52 - 0:56The quality of care
that children receive in their families -
0:56 - 1:00can have a more significant
effect on their well-being -
1:00 - 1:03than from the actual experiences of war
that they have been exposed to. -
1:05 - 1:07So actually, children can be protected
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1:07 - 1:12by warm, secure parenting
during and after conflict. -
1:14 - 1:17In 2011, I was a first-year PhD student
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1:17 - 1:21in the University of Manchester
School of Psychological Sciences. -
1:21 - 1:23Like many of you here,
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1:23 - 1:26I watched the crisis in Syria
unfold in front of me on the TV. -
1:27 - 1:29My family is originally from Syria,
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1:29 - 1:30and very early on,
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1:30 - 1:33I lost several family members
in really horrifying ways. -
1:34 - 1:37I'd sit and I'd gather with my family
and watch the TV. -
1:37 - 1:39We've all seen those scenes:
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1:39 - 1:41bombs destroying buildings,
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1:41 - 1:42chaos, destruction
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1:43 - 1:45and people screaming and running.
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1:46 - 1:49It was always the people screaming
and running that really got me the most, -
1:49 - 1:52especially those
terrified-looking children. -
1:53 - 1:57I was a mother to two young,
typically inquisitive children. -
1:57 - 1:59They were five and six then,
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1:59 - 2:02at an age where they typically
asked lots and lots of questions, -
2:02 - 2:04and expected real, convincing answers.
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2:05 - 2:08So, I began to wonder
what it might be like -
2:08 - 2:11to parent my children
in a war zone and a refugee camp. -
2:12 - 2:14Would my children change?
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2:15 - 2:18Would my daughter's bright,
happy eyes lose their shine? -
2:19 - 2:24Would my son's really relaxed and carefree
nature become fearful and withdrawn? -
2:25 - 2:26How would I cope?
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2:27 - 2:29Would I change?
-
2:31 - 2:33As psychologists and parent trainers,
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2:33 - 2:37we know that arming parents
with skills in caring for their children -
2:37 - 2:39can have a huge effect
on their well-being, -
2:40 - 2:42and we call this parent training.
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2:43 - 2:45The question I had was,
-
2:45 - 2:48could parent training programs
be useful for families -
2:48 - 2:51while they were still in war zones
or refugee camps? -
2:51 - 2:54Could we reach them
with advice or training -
2:54 - 2:56that would help them
through these struggles? -
2:58 - 3:01So I approached my PhD supervisor,
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3:01 - 3:02Professor Rachel Calam,
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3:02 - 3:06with the idea of using my academic skills
to make some change in the real world. -
3:07 - 3:09I wasn't quite sure
what exactly I wanted to do. -
3:10 - 3:12She listened carefully and patiently,
-
3:12 - 3:13and then to my joy she said,
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3:13 - 3:16"If that's what you want to do,
and it means so much to you, -
3:16 - 3:18then let's do it.
-
3:18 - 3:21Let's find ways to see if parent programs
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3:21 - 3:23can be useful for families
in these contexts." -
3:24 - 3:27So for the past five years,
myself and my colleagues -- -
3:27 - 3:29Prof. Calam and Dr. Kim Cartwright --
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3:29 - 3:32have been working
on ways to support families -
3:32 - 3:34that have experienced
war and displacement. -
3:36 - 3:39Now, to know how to help families
that have been through conflict -
3:39 - 3:40support their children,
-
3:40 - 3:44the first step must obviously be
to ask them what they're struggling with, -
3:44 - 3:46right?
-
3:46 - 3:47I mean, it seems obvious.
-
3:47 - 3:49But it's often those
that are the most vulnerable, -
3:49 - 3:51that we're trying to support,
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3:51 - 3:52that we actually don't ask.
-
3:52 - 3:55How many times have we just assumed
we know exactly the right thing -
3:55 - 3:59that's going to help someone or something
without actually asking them first? -
3:59 - 4:03So I traveled to refugee camps
in Syria and in Turkey, -
4:03 - 4:05and I sat with families, and I listened.
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4:06 - 4:09I listened to their parenting challenges,
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4:09 - 4:11I listened to their parenting struggles
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4:11 - 4:14and I listened to their call for help.
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4:14 - 4:16And sometimes that was just paused,
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4:16 - 4:18as all I could do was hold hands with them
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4:18 - 4:20and just join them
in silent crying and prayer. -
4:21 - 4:23They told me about their struggles,
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4:23 - 4:27they told me about the rough,
harsh refugee camp conditions -
4:27 - 4:30that made it hard to focus
on anything but practical chores -
4:30 - 4:32like collecting clean water.
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4:33 - 4:36They told me how they watched
their children withdraw; -
4:36 - 4:39the sadness, depression, anger,
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4:39 - 4:43bed-wetting, thumb-sucking,
fear of loud noises, -
4:43 - 4:45fear of nightmares --
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4:45 - 4:46terrifying, terrifying nightmares.
-
4:47 - 4:51These families had been through
what we had been watching on the TV. -
4:52 - 4:53The mothers --
-
4:53 - 4:55almost half of them
were now widows of war, -
4:55 - 4:58or didn't even know
if their husbands were dead or alive -- -
4:58 - 5:01described how they felt
they were coping so badly. -
5:02 - 5:06They watched their children change
and they had no idea how to help them. -
5:06 - 5:09They didn't know how to answer
their children's questions. -
5:10 - 5:13What I found incredibly astonishing
and so motivational -
5:13 - 5:18was that these families were
so motivated to support their children. -
5:18 - 5:20Despite all these challenges they faced,
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5:20 - 5:23they were trying to help their children.
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5:23 - 5:26They were making attempts
at seeking support from NGO workers, -
5:26 - 5:28from refugee camp teachers,
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5:28 - 5:30professional medics,
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5:30 - 5:31other parents.
-
5:31 - 5:35One mother I met had only been
in a camp for four days, -
5:35 - 5:36and had already made two attempts
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5:36 - 5:39at seeking support
for her eight-year-old daughter -
5:39 - 5:41who was having terrifying nightmares.
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5:42 - 5:45But sadly, these attempts
are almost always useless. -
5:46 - 5:48Refugee camp doctors, when available,
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5:48 - 5:50are almost always too busy,
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5:50 - 5:54or don't have the knowledge or the time
for basic parenting supports. -
5:55 - 5:58Refugee camp teachers and other parents
are just like them -- -
5:58 - 6:02part of a new refugee community
who's struggling with new needs. -
6:02 - 6:05So then we began to think.
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6:05 - 6:08How could we help these families?
-
6:09 - 6:13The families were struggling with things
much bigger than they could cope with. -
6:13 - 6:15The Syrian crisis made it clear
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6:15 - 6:20how incredibly impossible it would be
to reach families on an individual level. -
6:20 - 6:22How else could we help them?
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6:22 - 6:26How would we reach families
at a population level -
6:26 - 6:27and low costs
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6:28 - 6:31in these terrifying, terrifying times?
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6:32 - 6:34After hours of speaking to NGO workers,
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6:34 - 6:37one suggested a fantastic innovative idea
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6:37 - 6:42of distributing parenting
information leaflets via bread wrappers -- -
6:42 - 6:46bread wrappers that were being delivered
to families in a conflict zone in Syria -
6:46 - 6:48by humanitarian workers.
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6:48 - 6:50So that's what we did.
-
6:50 - 6:53The bread wrappers haven't changed
at all in their appearance, -
6:53 - 6:55except for the addition
of two pieces of paper. -
6:56 - 7:01One was a parenting information leaflet
that had basic advice and information -
7:01 - 7:04that normalized to the parent
what they might be experiencing, -
7:04 - 7:06and what their child
might be experiencing. -
7:06 - 7:10And information on how they could
support themselves and their children, -
7:10 - 7:14such as information like spending
time talking to your child, -
7:14 - 7:16showing them more affection,
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7:16 - 7:18being more patient with your child,
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7:18 - 7:20talking to your children.
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7:20 - 7:23The other piece of paper
was a feedback questionnaire, -
7:23 - 7:25and of course, there was a pen.
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7:26 - 7:30So is this simply leaflet distribution,
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7:30 - 7:33or is this actually a possible means
of delivering psychological first aid -
7:33 - 7:36that provides warm,
secure, loving parenting? -
7:36 - 7:41We managed to distribute
3,000 of these in just one week. -
7:42 - 7:46What was incredible was
we had a 60 percent response rate. -
7:46 - 7:5060 percent of the 3,000
families responded. -
7:50 - 7:52I don't know how many
researchers we have here today, -
7:52 - 7:55but that kind of response
rate is fantastic. -
7:55 - 7:58To have that in Manchester
would be a huge achievement, -
7:58 - 8:01let alone in a conflict zone in Syria --
-
8:01 - 8:05really highlighting how important
these kinds of messages were to families. -
8:05 - 8:09I remember how excited and eager we were
for the return of the questionnaires. -
8:09 - 8:12The families had left
hundreds of messages -- -
8:12 - 8:14most incredibly positive and encouraging.
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8:14 - 8:16But my favorite has got to be,
-
8:16 - 8:19"Thank you for not forgetting
about us and our children." -
8:20 - 8:22This really illustrates
the potential means -
8:22 - 8:25of the delivery of psychological
first aid to families, -
8:25 - 8:27and the return of feedback, too.
-
8:27 - 8:30Just imagine replicating this
using other means -
8:30 - 8:34such as baby milk distribution,
or female hygiene kits, -
8:34 - 8:36or even food baskets.
-
8:36 - 8:38But let's bring this closer to home,
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8:38 - 8:39because the refugee crisis
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8:39 - 8:42is one that is having an effect
on every single one of us. -
8:42 - 8:47We're bombarded with images daily
of statistics and of photos, -
8:47 - 8:49and that's not surprising,
-
8:49 - 8:50because by last month,
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8:50 - 8:53over one million refugees
had reached Europe. -
8:53 - 8:54One million.
-
8:55 - 8:58Refugees are joining our communities,
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8:58 - 8:59they're becoming our neighbors,
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8:59 - 9:02their children are attending
our children's schools. -
9:03 - 9:07So we've adapted the leaflet
to meet the needs of European refugees, -
9:07 - 9:10and we have them online, open-access,
-
9:10 - 9:12in areas with a really high
refugee influx. -
9:12 - 9:16For example, the Swedish healthcare
uploaded it onto their website, -
9:16 - 9:17and within the first 45 minutes,
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9:17 - 9:20it was downloaded 343 times --
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9:20 - 9:22really highlighting how important it is
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9:22 - 9:25for volunteers, practitioners
and other parents -
9:25 - 9:28to have open-access,
psychological first-aid messages. -
9:30 - 9:36In 2013, I was sitting on the cold,
hard floor of a refugee camp tent -
9:36 - 9:40with mothers sitting around me
as I was conducting a focus group. -
9:40 - 9:43Across from me stood an elderly lady
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9:43 - 9:46with what seemed to be
a 13-year-old girl lying beside her, -
9:46 - 9:49with her head on the elderly lady's knees.
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9:49 - 9:52The girl stayed quiet
throughout the focus group, -
9:52 - 9:53not talking at all,
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9:53 - 9:55with her knees
curled up against her chest. -
9:56 - 9:58Towards the end of the focus group,
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9:58 - 10:01and as I was thanking
the mothers for their time, -
10:01 - 10:04the elderly lady looked at me
while pointing at the young girl, -
10:04 - 10:06and said to me, "Can you help us with...?"
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10:07 - 10:09Not quite sure what she expected me to do,
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10:10 - 10:11I looked at the young girl and smiled,
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10:11 - 10:13and in Arabic I said,
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10:13 - 10:15"Salaam alaikum. Shu-ismak?"
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10:15 - 10:16"What's your name?"
-
10:17 - 10:19She looked at me really
confused and unengaged, -
10:20 - 10:21but then said, "Halul."
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10:22 - 10:26Halul is the pet's name
for the Arabic female name, Hala, -
10:26 - 10:29and is only really used
to refer to really young girls. -
10:30 - 10:34At that point I realized that actually
Hala was probably much older than 13. -
10:35 - 10:39It turns out Hala was a 25-year-old
mother to three young children. -
10:40 - 10:44Hala had been a confident,
bright, bubbly, loving, caring mother -
10:44 - 10:45to her children,
-
10:45 - 10:47but the war had changed all of that.
-
10:48 - 10:52She had lived through bombs
being dropped in her town; -
10:52 - 10:55she had lived through explosions.
-
10:55 - 10:58When fighter jets
were flying around their building, -
10:58 - 10:59dropping bombs,
-
10:59 - 11:02her children would be screaming,
terrified from the noise. -
11:02 - 11:05Hala would frantically grab pillows
and cover her children's ears -
11:05 - 11:06to block out the noise,
-
11:06 - 11:08all the while screaming herself.
-
11:09 - 11:11When they reached the refugee camp
-
11:11 - 11:14and she knew they were finally
in some kind of safety, -
11:14 - 11:17she completely withdrew
to acting like her old childhood self. -
11:18 - 11:20She completely rejected her family --
-
11:21 - 11:23her children, her husband.
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11:24 - 11:26Hala simply could no longer cope.
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11:28 - 11:30This is a parenting struggle
with a really tough ending, -
11:31 - 11:32but sadly, it's not uncommon.
-
11:32 - 11:35Those who experience
armed conflict and displacement -
11:35 - 11:38will face serious emotional struggles.
-
11:39 - 11:41And that's something we can all relate to.
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11:42 - 11:45If you have been through
a devastating time in your life, -
11:45 - 11:49if you have lost someone
or something you really care about, -
11:50 - 11:52how would you continue to cope?
-
11:54 - 11:57Could you still be able
to care for yourself and for your family? -
11:58 - 12:02Given that the first years
of a child's life are crucial -
12:02 - 12:05for healthy physical
and emotional development, -
12:05 - 12:10and that 1.5 billion people
are experiencing armed conflict -- -
12:10 - 12:13many of whom are now
joining our communities -- -
12:13 - 12:14we cannot afford to turn a blind eye
-
12:14 - 12:18to the needs of those
who are experiencing war and displacement. -
12:18 - 12:20We must prioritize
these families' needs -- -
12:20 - 12:25both those who are internally displaced,
and those who are refugees worldwide. -
12:26 - 12:31These needs must be prioritized
by NGO workers, policy makers, -
12:31 - 12:35the WHO, the UNHCR
and every single one of us -
12:35 - 12:39in whatever capacity it is
that we function in our society. -
12:39 - 12:44When we begin to recognize
the individual faces of the conflict, -
12:44 - 12:49when we begin to notice
those intricate emotions on their faces, -
12:49 - 12:51we begin to see them as humans, too.
-
12:51 - 12:54We begin to see
the needs of these families, -
12:54 - 12:56and these are the real human needs.
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12:57 - 13:00When these family needs are prioritized,
-
13:00 - 13:03interventions for children
in humanitarian settings -
13:03 - 13:08will prioritize and recognize the primary
role of the family in supporting children. -
13:09 - 13:12Family mental health
will be shouting loud and clear -
13:12 - 13:14in global, international agenda.
-
13:14 - 13:18And children will be less likely
to enter social service systems -
13:18 - 13:20in resettlement countries
-
13:20 - 13:22because their families
would have had support earlier on. -
13:24 - 13:27And we will be more open-minded,
-
13:27 - 13:28more welcoming, more caring
-
13:28 - 13:32and more trusting to those
who are joining our communities. -
13:33 - 13:35We need to stop wars.
-
13:36 - 13:41We need to build a world where children
can dream of planes dropping gifts, -
13:41 - 13:42and not bombs.
-
13:43 - 13:47Until we stop armed conflicts
raging throughout the world, -
13:47 - 13:49families will continue to be displaced,
-
13:49 - 13:51leaving children vulnerable.
-
13:51 - 13:54But by improving parenting
and caregiver support, -
13:54 - 14:00it may be possible to weaken the links
between war and psychological difficulties -
14:00 - 14:02in children and their families.
-
14:02 - 14:03Thank you.
-
14:03 - 14:07(Applause)
- Title:
- From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester
- Description:
-
‘From Bombs to Bread’ will recognise the crucial role parents and caregivers play in supporting their children through war and displacement. Aala will share her experiences and stories of discovering the human faces of the Syrian tragedy.
Dr Aala El-Khani is a Research Associate in the School of Psychological Sciences at The University of Manchester. She recently completed her PhD on exploring and meeting the parenting needs of families affected by war and displacement, to protect the mental health of children who have experienced armed conflict. She is passionate about raising awareness of the need to help parents to care for their children early on in their journey from refugee camps to resettlement. Through spending time with Syrian refugee families in refugee camps and on their journeys, she feels entrusted by these families to share their stories. Aala is determined to develop innovative ways of reaching these families with parenting information and training. Her work has been recognised by two prestigious academic awards from The University of Manchester; the Sue Fielder Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement 2015, and the Manchester Doctoral College Best Contribution to Society Award, 2016.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 14:20
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester | ||
Krystian Aparta edited English subtitles for From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester | ||
Nhien Pham edited English subtitles for From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester | ||
Christian Marenco declined English subtitles for From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester | ||
Christian Marenco edited English subtitles for From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester | ||
Nhien Pham edited English subtitles for From Bombs to Bread | Aala El-Khani | TEDxManchester |