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Resilient Minds: Turning Trauma into Chess Moves

Being forced to move out of home after an earthquake is a devastating blow, especially for children. Fear, uncertainty, and post-traumatic stress get etched into them. As a health worker, I see this impact every day, and that’s why this initiative was born in Cumaná: we want to bring together a group of volunteers to open a community chess school. We’re not looking to compete or train world champions; we want to use the chessboard as a mental refuge, a safe space where these children can be distracted, make friends, and regain calm.

How will we do it?
The idea is to meet twice a week, in short one-and-a-half-hour sessions that we’ll divide into four moments:

The kickoff: We start with group activities and breathing exercises to lower the anxiety of the day.

The game: We explain the rules and the pieces through stories and fun, low-pressure activities.

Practice: The kids play with each other while volunteers accompany them and guide the matches in an atmosphere of true camaraderie.

The closing: We sit down to talk for a while about how they felt and we share a snack.

What do we need to get started?
For this to take off, we need to join forces in three key areas:

Spaces: Secure church halls, covered sports courts, or local schools that can lend us a safe place.

Materials: Launch a campaign to collect chessboards (they can be printed on canvas or cardboard) and support for the snacks.

Friendly hands: Recruit volunteers with good energy. As a doctor/nurse, I’ll be in charge of giving everyone a quick guide on how to treat and care for children who have gone through emotional trauma.

In the end, every chess match will be an excuse to teach them that, even if life sometimes puts us in check, there’s always a move to move forward

Resilient Minds: Turning Trauma into Chess Moves

Being forced to move homes after an earthquake is a devastating blow, especially for children. Fear, uncertainty, and post-traumatic stress remain etched in them. As a healthcare worker, I see this impact every day, and that’s why this initiative was born in Cumaná: we want to put together a group of volunteers to open a community chess school. We’re not looking to compete or train world champions; we want to use the chessboard as a mental refuge, a safe space where these children can be distracted, make friends, and regain their calm.

How will we do it?
The idea is to meet twice a week, in short 1.5-hour sessions that we’ll divide into four moments:

The kickoff: We’ll start with group dynamics and breathing exercises to lower the day’s anxiety.

The game: We’ll explain the rules and pieces through stories and fun activities, with no pressure.

Practice: The kids will play among themselves while the volunteers accompany and guide the matches in an atmosphere of total camaraderie.

The closing: We’ll sit down to talk for a while about how they felt and share a snack.

What do we need to get started?
For this to take off, we need to bring together support in three key areas:

Spaces: Secure parish halls, covered courts, or local schools that can lend us a safe place.

Materials: Launch a campaign to collect chessboards (they can be printed on canvas or cardboard) and support for snacks.

Friendly hands: Recruit volunteers with positive energy. As a healthcare professional, I will work to find volunteer psychologists who will provide us with a quick guide for how to treat and care for children who have gone through emotional trauma.

In the end, each chess match will be an excuse to teach them that, even though life sometimes puts us in check, there is always a move that helps us move forward.

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