Save the Children to continue Christchurch resilience-building programme

Following yesterday's series of magnitude 5.8 earthquakes in Christchurch, Save the Children New Zealand has said that the organisation’s Journey of Hope programme will continue to run into 2012.

Save the Children New Zealand established the successful resilience-building programme for earthquake-affected children and their families in February this year.

Although other trauma recovery programmes have been running, this is the only resilience-building programme designed specifically for children affected by the Christchurch earthquakes that Save the Children New Zealand is aware of.

CEO of Save the Children New Zealand Liz Gibbs said the Journey of Hope has been making a big difference to children’s lives and there was still demand for it to continue.

“Many people we have talked to still believe anxiety is a significant issue for many Christchurch children – particularly with the build up to Christmas and as the pending anniversary of the February earthquake draws near. We know that these continual shakes can add further to already high levels of anxiety, tiredness and insomnia,” Ms Gibbs said.

“When we launched the Journey of Hope we wanted to make sure that we were more than an ambulance at the end of the cliff, which is why we have gone for a solutions-focused approach.”

To date, over 500 children and families have completed the Journey of Hope, which is run through local partners, including Barnardos, Plunket, ADRA and Te Puna Whaiora.

Principals and parents are still registering their schools and children in the Journey of Hope and as long as demand continues, Save the Children New Zealand intends to keep running the programme for Christchurch children into 2012.

ENDS

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