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This section is to raise the profile of charities and organisations that Skin is and has been involved with
The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture is a registered British charity offering free medical, psychological and practical assistance to survivors of torture and organised violence, and to their families. Since it opened its doors in 1986, more than 40,000 people have been referred for help. Clients are children, adolescents and adults now trying to cope with the pain of torture and exile. Most of them are refugees or asylum seekers who receive help regardless of their country of origin, ethnic origin, gender, age, political or religious beliefs.
In 2004, some 2,588 men, women and and children were referred to the Medical Foundation for help. They came from nearly 100 countries, foremost among which were Iran, Turkey, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Somalia, Uganda, Cameroon, Congo (Brazzaville), Iraq and Ethiopia. After checks to ensure that the cases fell within the Medical Foundation’s remit, they were given, as appropriate to their needs, practical, medical, and psychological assistance in keeping with the organisation’s holistic approach. On hand to help them, the Medical Foundation had more than 200 paid full-time and part-time staff, and, and a similar number of volunteers
Skin has visited the Medical Foundation several times to observe its work with adolescents. Children and young persons may have been tortured or forced to witness torture of others, including their parents. They are seen by psychotherapists from our child and adolescent team. which tries to help them find some understanding of their experiences. The clinicians guide a young person through the difficult process of learning to live in exile and coping with parents who are often changed dramatically by their own experiences of loss and mourning
It can be difficult for children and adolescents to describe their experiences of political or ethnic violence because the consequences of these painful and frightening events are often beyond words, so the Foundation also works via music, drawing, painting, dance, mime, drama, poetry and writing stories to help children to integrate their own painful and positive experiences
The team's work is based on the idea that children and adolescents are likely to develop emotional strengths when important elements are firmly established in their lives. These include feeling they belong to someone they trust because that person understands them; being able to reflect on a difficult and painful past, and talk about their experiences with someone they trust who is at their level of understanding; being able to make active choices in their lives instead of feeling passive and helpless; and feeling part of a community
For further information visit www.torturecare.org.uk or call +44 (0) 207 697 7777
