A violent civil war has been raging in South Sudan since December 2013. In addition to the conflict, the country is suffering from extreme poverty, COVID-19, prolonged droughts and devastating floods. The BoB programme is specifically designed to help young children, as well as their parents, deal with stress and emotions resulting from psychotrauma.

In preparation for the BoB programme, our ARQ psychologists provided basic training to South Sudanese aid workers from Help a Child and Save the Children. Because of the pandemic, the sessions took place online. And that didn't happen completely seamlessly – heavy rainfall posed a series of logistical challenges for the participants.

Fortunately, the conditions improved and the participants were highly motivated. With their newly gained knowledge and skills about mental health and psychosocial care, participants learned about the BoB programme.

“Shelters fall down. Crops can fail.
But emotional strength can stay with people throughout their lives.”

— South Sudanese participant in BoB programme

The Build your own Buddy (BoB) programme is a joint initiative of Help a Child, TNO, and ARQ, funded by the Dutch Relief Alliance (DRA) Innovation Fund. Initial results have been successful and there are plans to introduce the programme in other countries.

Would you like to know more about the BoB programme? In this video, aid worker Susan talks about her experiences.