Children living at the landfills of Bujumbura are often exposed to maltreatment, including emotional neglect and physical abuse, and traumatic experiences. Furthermore, they grow up in severe poverty. Addressing trauma-related mental health issues and aggressive behaviour by Narrative Exposure Therapy (FORNET), familial communication by family visits, interaction difficulties of children by a group intervention, poverty by financial support and economic training for mothers, medical problems by medical assistance, legal conflicts by legal advice, and providing access to school, we aimed at reintegrating those children within the Burundian school system and improving familial relationships. The investigators want to provide evidence, that mental health interventions are an integral part of assisting children and families affected by poverty and violence.
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Change of load of traumatic symptoms measured via the University of California at Los Angeles Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (scale administered by Clinicians)
Timeframe: baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up
Change of number of aggressive acts measured via an adaption of the Domestic and Community Violence Checklist
Timeframe: baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up
Change of experienced parental maltreatment measured via a shortened version of the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure (MACE)
Timeframe: baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up
Change of number of days spent at the landfill
Timeframe: baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up