The Orphans of Eritrea: A Five‐year Follow‐up Study

Abstract

A group of 4-7-year-old war orphans were examined for the first time while living in an institution (the Solomuna Orphanage) during a protracted war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. At that time, they were compared to a group of refugee children living in a nearby camp with one or both parents. The orphans exhibited significantly more behavioral symptoms than the refugee children, but performed the cognitive tests at a more advanced level. Five years later, the orphans were re-examined; and they were compared to unaccompanied 9-12-year-children living in one of two residential settings that differed qualitatively in their social climate, principles of child care, and patterns of staff-child interactions. Although the severity of their behavioral symptoms had diminished, the orphans still exhibited many symptoms of emotional distress. On the other hand, they performed the cognitive measures as well as, or better than, unaccompanied children who had been protected from the terrors of war. The cross-sectional comparisons indicated that a residential setting that respects the individuality of children and promotes their close personal ties with at least one staff member can ameliorate many of the more serious psychological sequelae of having lost both parents and being exposed to the physical dangers of the war. The implications for war orphans in other Third World countries are discussed.

Children and the Sphere standard on mental and social aspects of health

“…For example, children who were evacuated during the Second World War bombings of London showed more distress than those who stayed with their parents and were directly exposed to the war (Foster, Davies and Steele, 2003;Freud and Burlingham, 1943). Similarly, a study of young children exposed to war in Eritrea, found that children who lived in orphanages showed more signs of emotional distress five years later than those who lived in a refugee camp with one or both parents (Wolff and Fesseha, 1999).…”

“…Research suggests that children also benefit from participation in decisions that affect their lives. For example, Wolff and Fesseha (1999) compared the mental health of war orphans living in two different orphanages in Eritrea, one in which the children were expected to participate in its activities and another where the director made all of the decisions and daily routines were determined by explicit roles and schedules. They found that children in the first institution showed fewer behavioural symptoms of emotional distress than those living in the second.…”

Percepção de educadores de abrigo: o seu trabalho e a criança institucionalizada

“…Somando-se a isso, as instituições que acolhem crianças, principalmente as do tipo residencial, podem motivar as crianças a compartilharem tarefas e a cooperarem entre si e com os funcioná-rios 11 . Esse tipo de atitude por parte dos educadores pode contribuir na prevenção de efeitos traumáticos gerados pela convivência, precoce e prolongada, em instituições asilares 11 .…”

“…Esse tipo de atitude por parte dos educadores pode contribuir na prevenção de efeitos traumáticos gerados pela convivência, precoce e prolongada, em instituições asilares 11 .…”

“…Essas crenças são aqui reconhecidas como ideias que há tempos povoam o imaginário social e remetem à população dos antigos orfanatos e berçários públicos 7,8,9 , ilustram a literatura antiga e atual sobre o tema da privação dos cuidados maternos ou mesmo parentais 10,11 e embasam discursos sobre a condição de grave vulnerabilidade social e emocional da criança institucionalizada 12 .…”