PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY BRETT MCMICHAEL

This is an aerial view of a Kosovar refugee camp near Kukes, Albania (near the Kosovo border) where Brett designed and implemented programs to help children traumatized by the war in Kosovo. 

Here Brett McMichael (in the blue) teaches some children a game.  Although he spent most of his time training volunteers to work with the children, Brett cherished this direct contact whenever he could fit it into his schedule.

Brett encouraged children to play their own games as part of their psycho-rehabilitation.

At first glance these children look happy, but look closer: look at the fearful expression of the little boy in the lower left.   Also notice the angry older girl on the right.  These are the children that Brett and his team of trained volunteers will focus on therapeutically.

This grandmother and her grandson are all this is left of their
family after the war.

Brett estimates that 90% of the children in the refugee camps could be helped by group activities, which were run by volunteers Brett trained.   About 10% of the children, such as this little boy on the left, needed individualized attention.  The volunteer on the right serves food to the refugees in the camp.

A makeshift classroom with the children’s art
—another form of therapeutic expression.

A simple ball can bring great joy to children who haven’t felt
happy for a long time!

These camps were engineered to accommodate 10,000 people,
but they actually were housing more.

One of the very few accessible phones in camp.   Kosovars line up to try to contact their relatives and let them know that they got out safely.

Here we see a mural painted by the children in another classroom.   Children do love peace.  Our church is proud to support Brett as he helps them discover peace despite the violence they were forced to endure.  

Brett was in the refugee camps from May of 1999 to the end of July, 1999 and has now gone back to his regular position working with children in Croatia and teaching at the Evangelical Theological Faculty (Seminary).  His goal there is to prepare Eastern European seminarians to provide effective psycho-social programs for children and the elderly in their respective countries.  He will complete his fourth year in Croatia and return to states this sometime in mid-June of 2000 to pursue a graduate studies in psychology.