Trauma experts help Samoa help themselves

Published: 7:07PM Tuesday March 09, 2010

Source: ONE News

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Trauma experts help Samoa help themselves (Source: Reuters)

National Hospital in Apia - Source: Reuters

Watch Video Trauma experts help Samoa help themselves (01:30)

Kiwi trauma experts have found many Samoans caught up in last year's tsunami are still living in fear.

A volunteer group of New Zealand therapists were so moved by Samoa's plight that they travelled to Apia to train Samoans to help their own, by training health and social workers on how to deal with trauma victims.

The team are even paying their own way.

"We've been training people who live here locally so that they can be working with people in the communities next week, next month, the month after and help whole families heal themselves," says Karen Ross from the trauma recovery team.

More than 20 people have signed up for the training and they have their work cut out for them.

"It seems every village we visit on the coast, there are people still traumatised. The people I am talking to are having nightmares, they are drinking to help them feel better or sleep better," Ross says.

At least one entire village has relocated inland and families are still grappling with the loss of loved ones, says Samoa Lifeline's Junior Siitia.

"I talked to a teacher at Lalomanu Primary School and she said that one third of the kids did not come to school for fear that the tsunami would strike again," Siitia says.

The newly trained locals, like Lose Bourne, say the skills they have learnt have also helped them deal with their own fears.

"I'm hoping this training will help us guide people to look forward and not to look back," Bourne says.