Children like this boy in Goma, DRC, benefit from child-focused trauma healing. Photo credit: Peter Edman

Seven-year-old Kasi awoke one night to shouts from his older brother to flee the house as shots rang in the night. Kasi and his family ran, eventually arriving safely in a new town where they tried to resume their lives, but Kasi was quiet. He was scared to leave the house, jumped when someone entered and woke at night screaming. He didn't talk about his feelings, and no one was sure what to do.

“The need for trauma healing in children is enormous,” says Harriet Hill, director of American Bible Society's trauma healing program. “There are services that address their education, health and food needs. But there's not much for their emotional needs.”

Again, ABS is there with God's Word to help heal young hearts. Following the principles established in the book Healing the Wounds of Trauma, ABS works with young ones to help them cope with their trauma. Using games, stories, crafts and activities, facilitators help make the concepts outlined in the book relevant and easy to understand.

Kasi was invited to draw a series of pictures that showed what happened the night the family fled. As he talked about the pictures, he began to cry. As his father sat and held his son, Kasi was soothed. Over time, his behavior improved and he became the boy he once was.