BACK in the comfort of their Mtunzini home from the conflict-torn region of Kurdistan in north-eastern Iraq, life cannot just go back to the way it used to be.
For the University of Zululand Professor Jean Simonis and his wife Anita, every time they open their eyes, they see the hundreds of traumatised men, women and children living as refugees in their own land.
The scratchy beard that Jean wears is a reminder of the bond he shared with the Iraqis and the promise that he will hopefully return next month.
‘Normally after the first three days of returning from a trip, we are still in a daze. We still think we are there and then with time, it fades. But this time has been completely different,’ explains Anita.
‘Every day I remember the individuals I met, saw and touched. It is not just something that has happened and goes away.
‘Something happened in our spirit. It is a physical and emotional connection, to let them know that they are not alone and show them God’s love is an amazing opportunity,’ Anita said.
And while the trip was short-lived, the Mtunzini couple, through non-governmental organisation Global Relief, were the first African relief workers on the ground and were able to establish important links with local churches, government authorities and academic contacts.
‘We had to create a channel through which we can send aid. There are more than 50 agencies working on the ground coordinated by the United Nations. However, we discovered that between 60 – 80% of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are not living in the controlled camps but in half-built structures throughout the city.
‘These hidden communities are surviving without proper sanitation and sewerage infrastructure. Sometimes ten families are in one building with no windows,’ Jean said.
Psychological needs
They also found a great need for psycho social intervention in the form of trauma counselling.
‘Adults appear depressed and children seldom smile,’ said Anita.
‘People’s physical needs appear to be met, but there is a big gap to be filled in terms of psychological needs.
‘We have undertaken to immediately make available training material to be translated by our local contacts. Many recount their survival stories with anger towards the perpetrators. It is clear that the healing process will take time.’
During their return trip, the couple plan to construct jungle gyms in the camps in a project spearheaded by eShowe Minister and Counsellor Loffie Schoeman.
‘This tool can be used as part of the psychological intervention and therapy specifically for children and we will incorporate the local youth and volunteers in this project.’
Another breakthrough in the field of health and sanitation has been the water filter project, which formed part of Jean’s PhD research study as head of the Hydrology Department at Unizulu.
‘This filter can be manufactured in Iraq and is a low-cost, low-tech solution to the critical humanitarian crisis. The authorities want us to bring a team of academics from Unizulu next year to assess the water situation and take our research and apply it directly to solve problems in that country.’
