9 Jun 2012

DR CONGO / FAMILY SEPARATION

At a camp for internally displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s volatile east, parents and children learn strategies to avoid losing each other on the run. As a result, only 68 children were separated from their families when some 15,000 people fled violence erupting at the end of April. UNICEF

Posted at: June 9, 2012 12:16 am

Duration: 04:07

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: DR CONGO / FAMILY SEPARATION
TRT: 4.07 
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / FRENCH / SWAHILI / NATS
 
DATELINE: 23 MAY 2012, MUGUNUGA III IDP CAMP, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

SHOTLIST:
 
1. Wide shot, Mugunuga III IDP camp
2. Zoom out, IDP shelters in Camp
3. Wide shot, IDPs gathering for registration
4. Wide shot, IDP kids cooking food
5. Close up, UNICEF – AVSI placard
6. Wide shot, kids playing football in CFS
7. Wide shot, man with megaphone in middle of kids
8. Med shot, two girls playing double-dutch
9. Wide shot, woman walking
10. Med shot, woman and girl talking
11. Med shot, kids playing with a basketball
12. Close up, girl with ball
13. Close up, kids playing with ball
14. Close up, woman tying cloth to kid
15. Close up, woman tying cloth to kid's arm
16. Wide shot, woman walking with kids tied
17. SOUNDBITE (Swahili) Tuisenge, an IDP from Bihambwe:
"The war broke at 3a.m. in Bihambwe, we heard a lot of gunshots. So I couldn't take anything with me. As I had four children in the house, I took a piece of cloth to tie my children one to the other to prevent them from falling into a big river that we had to cross»
18. Pan left, IDPs queuing
19. Wide shot, kids cooking, boy walking
20. Wide shot, CFS class with kids
21. Wide shot, girls knitting
22. Close up, hands knitting
23. Med shot, girl knitting
24. Wide shot, girls making basket
25. Wide shot, man with megaphone, kids clapping
26. Wide shot, kids surrounding three men
27. SOUNDBITE (French) Elie Bahati, AVSI child protection:
"Very few children were reported separated from their families. And to us, it is a very positive result of the prevention and information activities that we implement with families. Because wherever we go, we've seen parents tied up to their children not to lose them on the way; we've also found spontaneous cases where children knew their parents' names and they were easily traced back to their parents or families in thirty minutes".
28. Wide shot, kids playing volley
29. Wide shot, kids playing volley
30. Wide shot, kids playing football
31. Wide shot, girls making basket
32. Pan left, people standing in the yard
33. Wide shot, girls making basket
34. Tilt up, girls discussing
35. Wide shot, girls playing with ball
36. Wide shot, girls discussing
37. Med shot, woman speaking
38. Wide shot, man taking basket
39. SOUNDBITE (French) Pontien Bashige, UNICEF Protection Officer:
"In an emergency situation, the Child Friendly Space is an important link within the protecting community. First as a protection structure for children particularly, and it tries to identify among the displaced some community volunteers to supervise children. The CFS also identifies the other structures operating in the camp where they can orient children who need assistance."
40. Wide shot, people in camp
41. Wide shot, kids with gallons of water
42. Med shot, kids cooking
43. Pan left, Child Friendly Space
44. Tilt up, kids in classroom
45. Wide shot, kids dancing

STORYLINE:

When fights between Congolese military and armed opposition groups broke out end of April in Masisi Territory, eastern DRC, thousands of people fled to sites for internally displaced people (IDPs)s like the one in Mugunga, on the outskirts of the North Kivu capital Goma.

In response, UNICEF's Partner AVSI set up this 'Child Friendly Space', or CFS, to provide children with psychosocial care and basic education, while parents try to reconstitute their lives.

Tuisenge is one of the parents who have sent their children to the CFS. Judith, her 14 year old daughter, has been attending the CFS activities alongside other children from her village. Tuisenge knows the value of the CFS.

While at home she and other community members learnt prevention of separation strategies through CFS community outreach activities. As a result, very few cases of separated children were recorded by child protection agencies.

SOUNDBITE (Swahili) Tuisenge, an IDP from Bihambwe:
"The war broke at 3a.m. in Bihambwe, we heard a lot of gunshots. So I couldn't take anything with me. As I had four children in the house, I took a piece of cloth to tie my children one to the other to prevent them from falling into a big river that we had to cross"

The Masisi crisis caused some 15,000 IDPs to find refuge in Sake in and Mugunga, but only 68 children were separated from their families.

Thanks to this CFS, more than 1,000 girls and boys have access to recreational activities, psychosocial support and life-skill activities such as sewing, knitting and basket-making.

Children also receive lifesaving information such as prevention of separation. They learn songs through which they can repeat the names of their parents, and that of their village.

SOUNDBITE (French) Elie Bahati, AVSI child protection:
"Very few children were reported separated from their families. And to us, it is a very positive result of the prevention and information activities that we implement with families. Because wherever we go, we've seen parents tied up to their children not to lose them on the way; we've also found spontaneous cases where children knew their parents' names and they were easily traced back to their parents or families in 30 minutes."

Child Friendly Spaces like this one, funded by the Japanese Government, are part of the protecting community approach, which provides a comprehensive package aimed at strengthening communities to positively cope with situations that might undermine children's rights.

The protecting community helps identify vulnerable children and refer them to the appropriate services, monitor protection issues and prevent abuse, violence, child exploitation and social exclusion.

SOUNDBITE (French). Pontien Bashige, UNICEF Protection Officer:
"In an emergency situation, the Child Friendly Space is an important link within the protecting community. First as a protection structure for children particularly, and it tries to identify among the displaced some community volunteers to supervise children. The CFS also identifies the other structures operating in the camp where they can orient children who need assistance."

When emergency breaks out, women and children are the most affected, their rights are violated, and they are vulnerable to numerous risks even when they do daily chores. Child friendly spaces have proven effective in mitigating these risks and continue to ensure children are protected even in emergencies.

Filed under 08.03.01 - SPECIAL GROUPS 13.01.00 - PROTECTION OF AND ASSISTANCE TO REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund.