War Child: Using Data to Help Children in Conflict Zones Heal (video)

• Approximately 470 million children worldwide are affected by war and armed conflict. "Children in war bear a heavy burden of stress that doesn't cease to exist when they reach safety," notes the War Child Alliance.

• To address this unseen crisis, they've developed a unique Care System, featuring a suite of interventions to support children's mental health and wellbeing.

• Among these interventions is TeamUp, a movement-based program that uses structured play, dance, and games to help children process trauma, build social bonds, and regulate emotions.

In this Stories of Impact video, Dr. Mark Jordans, Director of Research and Development at War Child and Nahed Sahmoud, Global TeamUp Technical Advisor, explain how TeamUp works and share results from their recent studies in Uganda and Burundi.

WATCH THE VIDEO WITH THE BELOW PLAYER

Watch the video to learn about the findings from the team's “Effectiveness Study” in Burundi and Uganda.

Key Takeaways:

• The War Child Alliance is an NGO operating in over two dozen countries, offering an integrated suite of interventions designed to support the wellbeing of children and youth affected by conflict. Developed over more than 25 years of experience in war zones, the War Child Care System includes eleven evidence-based programs, including TeamUp, the focus of this video.

• TeamUp is a non-verbal, play-based intervention for children ages 6 to 16, featuring movement, dance, breathing exercises, and guided games. Led by trained facilitators, it has been implemented in contexts such as Ukraine, Gaza, and Uganda. The goal is to create a sense of safety, stability, and connection, to help children reduce stress and build emotional resilience.

• Through rigorous research and data collection, War Child has shown that TeamUp improves emotional wellbeing, peer relationships, and attitudes toward school, with greater benefits observed in the 24-session format.

• In the video, David, a young refugee from Rwanda, shares how participating in a TeamUp program in Uganda helped him go from isolation and anger to joy, confidence, and connection.

Listen to a related Stories of Impact Podcast: War Child with Dr. Mark Jordans (podcast)

This video was recognized as an Official Webby Honoree in the Video & Film Documentary: Midform category at the 2026 Webby Awards.

Templeton World Charity Foundation’s “Stories of Impact” videos by journalist and senior media executive Richard Sergay feature human stories and critical perspectives on breakthroughs about the universe’s big questions. The inspiring narratives and observations in these award-winning videos portray the individual and societal impacts of the projects that bring to life TWCF-supported research.