Chloe

In Uganda and Iraq, children in conflict with the law have generally been exposed to situations of extreme violence. Various forms of exploitation, including prostitution, dangerous work, the sale of drugs and affiliation with armed groups, have affected their development. Many of those monitored by the Omoana partners have also been placed in detention in difficult conditions, far from their families. When they return, it is not always easy for their families to know how to support them emotionally.

This is why Omoana and its partners have created the ‘Family Together’ approach. These interactive sessions help families and friends to know how best to welcome children back from detention.

They are invited to reflect on the causes and contextual factors that lead children into these exploitative situations. They are also encouraged to draw inspiration from key people who have had a positive impact in their own lives to better support children and young people in their families. Sessions on child and adolescent development and the impact of trauma on children and adolescents are taught. Stress management methods for parents are also proposed. This is complemented by interactive exercises on communication and discipline, with role-plays inspired by forum theatre. Through these, they explore a way of guiding children by letting them know what behaviour is acceptable and what is not, in a way that is both firm and caring. Finally, they discuss how to boost their self-confidence. Alongside these group sessions, family members also have access to individual counselling.

Children in conflict with the law are first and foremost victims of exploitative systems, and require all the attention they can get. The method used by Omoana’s partners aims to put families at the centre of solutions. Omoana focuses on technical support and moves away from material support. Strengthening their ability to face adversity together is essential. This requires dedicated and competent social workers, whom we are lucky enough to have as partners, and to whom we try to offer the most relevant tools possible.

Dealing with violence is not always easy. Presentations, discussions and documentation can certainly play a part in preventing it. However, when working with children and young people suffering from exclusion, it is necessary to find interactive methods that speak to them and appeal to their senses and emotions. Omoana uses forum theatre in its projects. Derived from Brazilian playwright Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, this approach invites the people concerned to address situations of violence and explore solutions through play, in a participatory way. A scene recounting a situation that ends badly is presented to an audience. The members are then invited to replace one of the characters in the scene, which is replayed with the other actors improvising as realistically as possible what should happen next.

In Gulu, Uganda, children who live or work on the street present their own forum theatre scenes to the community to discuss ways of preventing violence against them. In Iraq, in the Mosul juvenile prison, children use forum theatre to discuss situations relating to their return to civilian life, and the possible discrimination they could face. This enables them to prepare for their reintegration by experiencing situations and exploring them through play. By using their senses, their ability to react appropriately will help to avoid a new cycle of violence. Other themes such as gender equality are also addressed, enabling the young people themselves to seek solutions that are often more progressive and innovative than what might be imagined in contexts where patriarchal norms prevail.

Social workers from Omoana’s partner organisations are trained in the approach and are monitored. Several workshops have already been held and the feedback has been positive. In fact, they go beyond just talking about human rights, enabling everyone to take part in a very practical discussion about living together, in order to preserve the dignity of children affected by violence.

If people’s ability to take care of themselves and others is strengthened, their resilience, both individually and collectively, will be optimised. This is how Omoana approaches helping the most vulnerable children. By involving family and community members in the development of solutions, children will be helped in a sustainable way. This is particularly true when their protection is threatened. If we take the example of children in conflict with the law, one of the association’s beneficiary groups, they have often been victims of the most abject forms of exploitation, such as forced prostitution or enslavement to armed groups. This has disastrous consequences for their well-being and future prospects. All resources must be mobilised in response. In this context, Omoana provides technical added value to its partners dealing with complex situations. In 2023, the ‘Youth Together’ manual, which offers psychosocial and violence prevention sessions to vulnerable young people, was produced.

This year, Omoana also developed the ‘Family Together’ approach. This aims to support parents of children in conflict with the law, giving them the tools to respond to the situations created by trauma, deprivation of liberty and the resulting consequences for their rights. In addition, to ensure that the emphasis is always on interactivity and on solutions coming from the people concerned, forum theatre is a widespread tool in all Omoana projects in Uganda and Iraq. It is the subject of an article in this new issue of Omoana News. It is this technical added value, this constant energy devoted to finding concrete solutions to difficult problems, this emphasis on mutual learning between those involved in the field, that makes Omoana a particularly important organisation in the contexts in which we work. We would like to thank you for believing in us and for your moral and financial support, which enables us to move forward.

Adrien Genoud,
Director