Plan
Focus group discussion in el salvador. affected, so many things lost and so much effort gone to waste.” Many of the girls also reported feelings of anxiety in anticipation of impending emergencies or disasters. Tension among family members reportedly increased following a disaster. Nineteen-year-old Nguyet told us that: “in my family my parents
Plan
Focus group in vietnam.
suffered the most. The loss of farm productivity meant having to find another way to earn a living. Their health is not good because they are thinking too much. i am trying my best to help them.” Ngoc Anh, 14, said: “my mother is grouchier; if the children make mistakes, they will be scolded harder; the losses in the crop make people surlier.” Many of the girls explained how it would be beneficial for them to have a safe space or outlet in which to discuss their feelings. Sixteen-year-old Linda in El Salvador commented: “Today i see that there are many people who are sad or upset when they remember these things, and it could easily make anyone sad, but i think that if we had these talks and things more often it would help us to move on.” None of the girls we spoke to told us they had received psychosocial support following a disaster. However, it is clear both from these discussions and from research undertaken for the ‘Because I am a Girl’ report this year that this support is critical for responding to the physical and mental strain placed on adolescent girls in disasters.36 47