PSYCHOSOCIAL

SUPPORT

No Strings’ films introduce complex messages in child-friendly ways, while our activities put young people at the centre of sessions, guiding them to regaining a sense of perspective, control and hopefulness in their lives. 

Puppets help children bring their problems into the room. They provide safe distance (it can be the puppet who has the issue, not the child). Through engaging, playful activities, conversations open up and children re-establish their sense of stability, learning from one other, together. 

Films in this series include The Corner Frog,
The Butterfly, The Magic Heart, and Out of the Shadows.

THE BUTTERFLY: CLIP
Psychosocial Support, Rohingya / Bangladesh

Noori is transfixed when a butterfly enters her shelter. The creature brings a rush of colour and beauty, and with it a sense of something lost. Noori's brother traps the butterfly in a bottle and as Noori watches, both she and the little butterfly seem to fade away. Noori has not been able to leave her shelter since she turned 14. As such she is typical of many young Rohingya girls. Life in the camp can be dangerous, the culture is very traditional, and her parents worry about her future. How can Noori maintain her hopefulness and resilience, and how can her family best support her?

The Butterfly and The Corner Frog, made in different styles from most of our films, support older children and adolescent Rohingya boys and girls living in Bangladesh.

  • Rohingya children recreate parts of The Butterfly story through shadow puppetry.

  • Rohingya girl and corner frog puppet.

  • “Maybe it’s time your daughter was married.”

  • Little girl with butterfly shadow puppet.

  • Kite flying scene. Popular in the hillier parts of Kutapalong camp.

  • Training workshop. Facilitator traps a ‘butterfly’ in a bottle during a role play activity.

THE CORNER FROG: CLIP
Psychosocial Support, Rohingya / Bangladesh

The Corner Frog in our story is a wise character who sees into the heart of the film’s troubled protagonist. When Jamir plays chinlone (a kind of volleyball) with his friends, he deliberately loses the ball. Jamir has lost a lot, the Corner Frog remarks. But what? Jamir refuses to elaborate. He is angry with his friends, and with his younger brothers and sisters. By encouraging him to tell a story to his siblings, the Corner Frog steers Jamir to the place where all his sadness lies, and in confronting the day his father disappeared as his family and friends listen on, he is finally able to find release.

The Corner Frog is a coming-of-age story that helps us to value the importance of sharing our feelings, of listening, of awareness of our feelings and vulnerabilities, and helping those in need. It accompanies The Butterfly programme for older children and adolescents in the Rohingya camps.

  • Retelling the emotionally charged Little Frog Story with shadow puppets.

  • The ancient tree terrifies the Little Frog in Jamir’s story.

  • High five with corner frog puppets.

  • Sharing skills with little ones.

  • Out and about with puppet Sowmmo.

  • Rohingya care-giver session.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS: CLIP
Psychosocial Support,
Middle East

After leaving their village following their parents’ death, little Sara sees demons in the shadows everywhere. She hides herself away while her brother Wassam fights with his cousins and all the town’s children. War has taken away everything they knew and loved, apart from one other. The children's aunt despairs, until a strange traveller arrives in the town with a donkey and some shadow puppets. Wassam is able to use these puppets to tell his story, and both he and Sara make the breakthrough that has until now
seemed impossible.

Out of the Shadows accompanies our Peace programme, Red Top, Blue Top, and has been shown to thousands of children in the Middle East who have grown up surrounded by conflict and dislocation.

  • Film Shoot. Little Sara sees terrifying things in ordinary shadows.

  • Syrian border. Our programme supports conflict-affected children of different ages.

  • Film shoot. Small and large versions of the donkey character, Out of the Shadows.

  • Wassam and Sara, original puppet sketch design by Micheal Frith.

  • Despite all Aunt Lina’s reassurances, Sara spends her time hiding under the table.

THE MAGIC HEART: CLIP
Psychosocial Support, Haiti

Jacques is persuaded to make a doll for his little sister Antoinette, who has become increasingly withdrawn after their parents were killed – an event that Jacques feels responsible for. The doll has a little plastic heart which Jacques is told will make it come to life, and in giving the doll a voice he is finally able to find release. When the heart is lost, Jacques panics, but then he learns that the ‘magic’ lay within him all along and through helping, he and his sister are able to turn what had previously seemed a huge, insurmountable corner.

Studies in Haiti found that children were more able to talk about their hopes and fears, and form better friendships, as a result of taking part in the PSS programme.

  • Identifying and expressing feelings through puppets, like Jacques in our film.

  • Magic Heart dolls made by children taking part in our programme in Haiti.

  • “The magic was in you, Jacques, all along.”

  • Puppet making, Haiti.