In an area where many people have been traumatised, it is of great importance that the organisations that posts people there has done its fact finding. In the first place, the organisation must find out whether the area is actually suitable for sending anyone to. What are the psycho-social problems people face there? Are there any referral possibilities? A satisfactory answer to these and other questions must be found before any overseas posting van be considered.

Things an organisation can do when it is doing its fact finding

Know the development organisations that are working in the area

Have talks with the various parties: children, people who work there

Gather basic data about the environment Gather knowledge of the power structures, political situation, economic infrastructure, schools

Make a contextual analysis (link naar algemene tools), and security analysis

Fact finding specifically geared towards trauma

• What type of psycho-social problems may appear in the area?
• Has there been an armed conflict (or natural disaster)?
• What was the type of conflict (or natural disaster)?
• Who have been the victims?
• Has this led to a worsening of the psycho-social health of people or parts if the population, and if so: how?
• Are the victims themselves capable of dealing with the psychosocial consequences?
• Are there referral options, to either local specialists or aid organisations?
• Is it prudent to send a sport development worker there?

From the field

'The organisation that had recruited me had only done a limited amount of fact finding. They had only been there for three days. So we had all manner of things to arrange when we got there. We also had the feeling that we actually knew more about the local situation than our coaches. They had no idea at all how things went after they had only been on the spot for three days'. (Jo Verhaegen)

'These are things that someone who works for War Child must consider. What is the area? What has happened here and what could I come across? You must never start working without a good assessment, you must research the group you will work with. After that has been done, you start thinking about what you want to do there'. (De Jager, War Child)

'I know that my common sense will help me go a long way. I can also indicate the limits of what I can and cannot do. For instance, in Ghana I went looking for some professionals who could tell me when I could refer someone to a professional psychological expert. In the whole country, there are only two child psychologists. So I consider it a task of the organisation to know this. If you do not, then you should include the overcoming of trauma in your objectives with such pomp and circumstance. I am not able to assess the severity or degree of a trauma'. (Mark Bulthuis)