The flood has literally robbed six-year-old Soumya (name changed) of her sleep.
Haunted by the nightmarish memories of water gushing into her home at Thuruth in Desham near Aluva, she often wakes up screaming, “Water is coming”.
Soumya had been to three relief camps, which all got submerged in due course, before she moved into a relative’s home. Now back home, the child simply cannot sleep in peace.
“Her family was rescued quite late after their home was flooded. She had witnessed the destruction caused by water, which has scarred her psychologically,” K.B. Zaina, District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) officer, told The Hindu.
Soumya was among the 41 such flood-affected children plagued by fear and anxiety identified during the course of a drive conducted by the DCPU in association with Bengaluru-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) to offer social and psychological assistance to disaster-hit families in the district.
The drive was conducted by 180 volunteers and coordinated by the field workers of Kaaval project, which is aimed at the reintegration of children in conflict with law into society. The volunteers trained by NIMHANS visited 1,507 houses and camps during the 12-day drive held between August 25 and September 5, reaching assistance to 6,638 people spread over municipalities and panchayats in the worst-affected taluks of Aluva, Kothamangalam, Kunnathunadu, North Paravur, and Muvattupuzha.
Out of them, 836 were given psycho-social therapy and 420 detailed counselling. In addition to the 41 affected children, the drive found 124 people affected by insomnia, 26 with signs of depression, 94 grief-stricken, 11 with substance use withdrawal symptoms, and four with suicidal tendencies. “Children aged between four and 10 years were the most affected, and our focus will be to ensure their well-being through further interventions whenever necessary,” said Ms. Zaina.
Special sessions
The DCPU will organise an experience-sharing session of volunteers who participated in the campaign at Sacred Hearts College, Thevara, on Saturday to decide on follow-up measures.
Doctors from the mental health wing of the General Hospital will also attend the session, and cases that need further intervention will be referred to them.