PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti.— What went through Joanny Susel’s mind after her classroom collapsed, leaving almost all of his friends trapped in the rubble? What will Rodrigue feel every time he remembers the afternoon of January 12, when he was playing soccer and his house fell in on his parents? How will Susú feel when dawn awakens him in that park surrounded by so many strangers?

Their hardened faces speak for themselves. The earthquake not only devastated the city of Port-au-Prince but also disrupted the lives of tens of thousands of children. With the loss of their family members, many are totally alone in this world; the destruction of their homes and schools and the concern that has gripped their parents for more than 25 days, have lacerated them more than anyone else and perhaps for life.

The eminent Cuban psychologist, Cristóbal Martínez, head of the National Child Psychology Group, explains that when such a violent disaster occurs, the entire population is psychologically damaged. Nobody is immune to this situation, but children and adolescents are the most vulnerable because, unlike adults, they lack the ability to search within themselves for a way of protecting themselves.

"There are many risk factors that damage them: the loss of family, of home, of their natural environment, their schools, and above all those activities in which they can release so much sadness, such as games, playing sports, reading a story, drawing or television."

He said that there are various danger signs that doctors and parents should look out for now, such as not being able to sleep, a lack of appetite, rejection of school and the child’s tendency to begin imitating dead family members. In very devout countries like this one, it is not uncommon to hear children say that they want to go to heaven like their own relatives have," Martínez explains.

To mitigate the negative effects that extreme situations, like the one currently being experienced in Haiti, have on the mental health of children, Cuban Drs. Ivonne Sánchez and Alexis Lorenzo have arrived in the country as part of a disaster team from the Latin American Center for Disaster Medicine. Yesterday (last Thursday) they experienced their first moment of joy in Haiti, seeing so many children in the Croix des Bouquets park, perhaps for the first time since the earthquake, gave added energy to the project that they have brought here to bring happiness back into the lives of so many little ones.

Wesly, Christopher, Olsen, Guerlanda… arrived at the Croix des Bouquets Park yesterday with little animation and mistrustful faces. They had been told about an activity in the field hospital being run by Cuban doctors but the chaos attacking their short lives seemed to have erased their ability to enjoy themselves. They came hiding behind one another; they looked uncomfortable, anti-social, and with no glimpse of a smile.

They were asked to sit down because the show was about to begin. The park is large but they stuck close together. Their inhibition was huge! But a few minutes sufficed to transform that image, when teachers from the Haitian National Arts School mounted the stage. It was incredible to see how the children began to applaud, jump, sing, and dance. It was even more incredible when they all began to shout "Viva Cuba," to a rumba rhythm of the rumba. There was a surplus of emotions.

Hard candies were given out. I can still recall the little rascal who asked for sweets, hid some in his pocket and then went back to ask for more again and again. Some of the little girls hung to Dr. Alexis’ leg, so that he could help them open the wrappers. There were also riddles and mimes that had even the older children in fits of laughter. They told stories. It was beautiful to see how even Jean Renald Clerismé, an advisor in President René Préval’s private Cabinet, made the children double up with Cinderella fantasies

Finally drawing time arrived. All of the children stretched out on the ground and covered blank pieces of paper with doodles, staining their hands with tempera in the process. Having forgotten their embarrassment, Wesly, Christopher, Olsen and Guerlanda approached us and even let us take a photo as a memento. In that way, 50 children were restored to happiness for one afternoon, one very distinct from the one that shook their lives.

After the first activity with the children, Dr. Cristóbal Martínez, who has much experience in situations like this, confided that he had not expected it to be like this. "I’m very moved, I was confident that it would be good, but I was concerned about the language barrier and the characteristics of these kids, but the children responded beautifully, came her sad and wound up jumping up and down. It knocked me out when they said ‘Viva Cuba!’ I felt very fortunate to be in Haiti."

The doctor added that it is impossible to diagnose and treat all Haitian children and adolescents now because they need thousands more psychologists. "The aim of our work is to mitigate those normal responses to abnormal situations. This is the first activity to demonstrate to the community that it is possible to help the littlest ones. The next step is to find facilitators who are capable of multiplying what we have done here.

"The most important thing is that the children play, this is a primary psychological need. I always say that even in the context of such a great disaster, if the children go to school, play, and have fun they can forget about the tragedy, because they have what is essential. That is what we are trying to meet in Haiti with artistic, recreational activities, and drawing, so they can let go of their negative emotions."

The doctors had similar experiences in Cuba when the island was lashed by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. Emotions like those felt yesterday in Croix des Bouquets Park were experienced by Cuban psychologists in communities like those of Jibara and San Cristóbal, where the joy of playing, drawing, dancing and singing helped children forget the force of the hurricane gales.

And although the conditions in Haiti are definitely more difficult than those that they experienced in their homeland, our psychologists remain committed to returning the laughter snatched from these children by the earthquake. The guffaws of the children in Croix des Bouquets Park are a good sign.