We drove through one completely destroyed village. People live there people live there in prefabricated cabins. The land mines that were planted freely by both sides now imprison small communities. Walking about freely will not be possible for years to come. Shatoiy is a sad ruin in a beautiful mountain landscape.
People appreciate links with the outside.
They long for signs of being heard and understood. People need to tell their story to someone who does not have labels for them. This helps them to make sense of their experience, to find strength to deal with it and see the options they now have. I have been asked by the Dutch Chechen Relief Committee to help set up centres of rehabilitation for children. This involves the training of ordinary people who themselves have had traumatic experiences to work with children and their trauma.