Taking creative arts in counselling of children to a whole new level

By Bruno Deceukelier and Veerle Lens -
Life in Zimbabwe hasn’t been easy over the past few years, especially for children from poor families and for orphans.

Many organizations help such children with food, clothing and opportunities for schooling. And orphans are helped in finding shelter or a home. In spite of this, many disadvantaged children are emotionally neglected.

Veerle Lens, a Volens cooperant, is responsible for developing counselling methodologies involving creative arts. She explains how artists and counsellors may help these children to open up, express themselves and learn to cope with difficult situations.

Veerle, what have you been up to in the past year ?
I co-ordinate the development of innovative counselling methodologies by local artists and counsellors of organizations taking care of disadvantaged children. Local artists take children through a series of artistic activities. Starting from what children experience during the activities, they are counselled on a variety of relevant topics.

So, what kind of art forms do you use ?
Each art form has got its own opportunities for counselling. So far we have used puppetry for counselling on social conflict, poetry on emotional issues, hip hop on confusing norms for social behaviour, capoeira on the advantages of positive interaction, and acrobatics on how to set and obtain goals in life.

Would you say these methodologies can make a real difference ?
Children definitely gain confidence and self-esteem. We also track positive gains and change in participants’ daily lives. It is clear that children become inspired to use positive social skills learned during the programmes. And we are proud and happy with general positive behaviour change being reported at school, at home and among friends.

How would other people be able to learn from what you have developed? And would others be able to use it?
We promote the use of the methodologies within Zimbabwe, and we hope these tools may be of use with disadvantaged children in other parts of the world too. Everything is documented and available in the toolbox or by clicking on these links!

Capoeira
Hiphop
Poetry
Puppetry
Acrobatics