 Children sing and play instruments alongside their therapists at an event displaying the work of the Noor Al Hussein Foundation(MENAFN - Jordan Times) A music therapy programme aiding traumatised Iraqi children in Jordan may come to an end next month, organisers warn.
For the last six months, a UNHCR-funded initiative through the Noor Al Hussein Foundation has offered music therapy to young people traumatised by their experiences of war and violence in Iraq.
Due to funding shortfalls, however, the future of the programme is in doubt, despite the "immeasurable" progress made, organisers said.
Music therapist Lisa Rae Eisenman and her colleague Maryellen Fairchild came to Amman from the US to work with a group of patients aged six to 21 in order to "use music to meet non-musical needs".
Music therapy focuses on developing positive social skills, increasing self-confidence and enabling self-expression for individuals dealing with psychological and emotional problems.
Eisenman said she has seen a noticeable difference in the children since the programme started in May.
"When the kids first came in, they were very quiet… they were very shy and they weren't smiling," she said.
Fairchild said all of the patients suffer from some kind of emotional trauma, while others have special needs.
The goal of the initiative has been to help the children express complex and painful feelings arising from their traumatic experiences.
"It is normal to bury trauma," Eisenman said, noting that in some cases children become "suicidal".
Fairchild and Eisenman, however, stressed that the project has been successful.
"The kids are full of joy and a love for music," Fairchild said, noting that they have received gratitude from parents.
Eisenman gave the example of one young boy who suffers from mental disabilities, who at the start of his therapy, had severe behavioural problems and was prone to aggression and violence.
"Using really gentle music techniques, he turned into the most gentle boy I have ever seen, really affectionate," she said.
"Not only did our work help him to function better at home, it was also able to help him integrate into social groups," she said.
In an event at Al Hussein Cultural Centre last week, Iraqi children finally took to the stage to demonstrate their new-found skills, a significant achievement for many of the patients, Fairchild said.
The performances, some solo and others in groups as large as 10, included a rendition of "Ibn El Jiran" by a young girl with Down syndrome who, according to organisers, did not speak for almost a year after she and her family came to Jordan from Baghdad.
Although last week's event was intended to showcase the programme's success to representatives of the UNHCR and other potential donors, it became a confidence-building exercise for the patients, Eisenman said.
"Music is really secondary to the therapy, but it was important, I think, for the kids to have something to work for," she said.
Fairchild noted that although the initiative is not intended to teach music, she hopes that with sufficient support, the initiative will use its partnership with the National Music Conservatory to allow patients to receive musical training and develop their talents.
"For some of these kids, their love for music can take them further," she said.
However, with the UNHCR facing a funding shortfall next year, the future of the music therapy programme is in doubt.
According to Eisenman, the initiative is only funded through the end of November, after which the sessions for dozens of Iraqi children will come to an end if it does not receive more support.
Although the UNHCR in Jordan hopes to maintain its level of support for Iraqi refugees in 2010, it has stressed that it will rely more on local partners to provide certain services the agency may not be able to afford.
Fairchild stressed that music therapy is a long-term process and that its success depends on developing a relationship and rapport between therapist and patient. She expressed concern that if the programme is terminated, the gains made over the past six months may be lost.
"The needs of these kids are immediate. We really want the programme to continue," Eisenman said.
By Jonah Shepp
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