Art Therapy in a Refugee Camp

We spent two days doing Art Therapy with the children at The Refuge - a Children's Home we support in a Refugee Camp in Thailand. These kids have come out of horrific situations in Burma - fleeing for their lives from the SDPC (Burmese military) and hiding in the jungle. They came to the refugee camp with hopes of a safe place to stay, and an opportunity to go to school. Many of them have family still inside Burma.

But for today, the kids were just kids.... drawing, painting, and being creative.

Art Therapy is a way for children who have been through traumatic experiences to process and express their emotions in a healthy, non-violent way. With brushes and colored pencils in hand, these kids painted pictures of their painful past, their present, and the future they dream of.

Art Therapy in A Refugee Camp from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

The video above only gives you a glimpse of some of their art and a few of their stories. CLICK HERE to see more of their artwork, the stories that go along with it, and the dreams they are dreaming for the future.

What lurks behind…

As most of you know, The Sound of Hope raises money and awareness for orphans and vulnerable children in Swaziland, India and Thailand. Although that sounds simple - it's really not. Each country is plagued by it's own set of serious problems and deep-rooted issues. They all have something horrible lurking behind the beauty of the countryside and culture. Some of these problems are the same for all three countries, while others are unique to one particular nation.

This was one of the main reasons we came to Thailand for 3 and 1/2 months - to educate ourselves. We needed to have a more complete understanding of the problems facing the kids in this country. This way, we can better support our local partners and help them care for the kids who are at risk.

So, to fully appreciate the work we are doing in Thailand, it is important to have an understanding of what the kids here face on a daily basis.

The REALITY behind the faces of Thailand and Burma from The Sound of Hope on Vimeo.

Now you can see why we are passionate about The Promised Land Project and The Refuge. These two projects we are partnered with work directly with kids who are at risk for human trafficking and the genocide that's happening in Burma.

To help us care for these children, click here and give your tax-deductible donation today!