Moving Forward
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Lead organisation
- Mercy Corps
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Status
- Active
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Duration
- 06.01.2008 - Undefined
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Region
- Asia
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Country
- China
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City
- Dujiangyan
Summary
The 7.9 magnitude earthquake in China last May changed the lives of children in Sichuan Province forever. Left untreated, their trauma could lead to problems in later life. Moving Forward aims to take children's minds off the earthquake while giving them a safe space to heal alongside their friends and classmates. This approach, first piloted in Peru after the earthquake there last year, helps youth emerge from their grief and trauma through sports, dance and other activities.
Since the initial weeks after the Sichuan earthquake, Mercy Corps has conducted training sessions for over 200 caregivers in China, who are coordinating activities for at least 10,000 children. Each activity brings children together for fun and games while providing an opportunity to explore their feelings - even as adults subtly impart valuable lessons about life after the earthquake.
Since the initial weeks after the Sichuan earthquake, Mercy Corps has conducted training sessions for over 200 caregivers in China, who are coordinating activities for at least 10,000 children. Each activity brings children together for fun and games while providing an opportunity to explore their feelings - even as adults subtly impart valuable lessons about life after the earthquake.
Objectives
The Moving Forward methodology helps youth emerge from their grief and trauma through sports, dance and other activities.
Target Group
- Youth
Participating Organisation(s)
Mercy Corps
Nike (material aid donations)
Nike (material aid donations)
Background information
You can support our sports programs directly by purchasing a Play to Heal kit at www.mercycorps.org/mercykits/2386
Lessons learned
Using sports such as soccer, volleyball and dance, mentors help children cope with the psychosocial stress that follows losing homes and schools and living in tents or crowded shelters.
Use of Sport in the Project
Mercy Corps offers sports-based recovery programs for children affected by earthquakes in Peru and China, and is ready to respond to the next emergency. The Play to Heal Kit covers the cost of materials for two dozen kids and an adult mentor, including a caregiver manual, paper and markers, whistles and cones, and sport-appropriate equipment like badminton racquets, soccer balls or Frisbees.
