Let the Children Play and Heal
The children of Gaza are creating art that the world needs to see.
You can make this happen by doing just three simple things now.
1. See the children’s art yourself—at the Middle East Children's Alliance’s new space in downtown Oakland, if you’re in the Bay Area. If not, take a little time to look at the pictures on Facebook or Youtube.
2. Share the children’s art with your friends and family, so the children’s voices can be heard far beyond the confines of Gaza. Bring people with you to the gallery or send them this video. Forward this message to five friends now, while it’s on your mind. Post it to Facebook or Twitter.
3. Support the crucial work of “Let the Children Play & Heal,” the Middle East Children's Alliance's project in Gaza where most of the art in the censored exhibit was created and where thousands of children continue to get help coping with their fears and memories by making art. Make an online contribution now.
ABOUT LET THE CHILDREN PLAY AND HEAL
This psychosocial support program was initiated by our partner Afaq Jadeeda (New Horizons) to address children’s psychological needs after the New Year’s assault on Gaza. “Let the Children Play and Heal” gives tens of thousands of children and youth opportunities to express themselves though art, dance, music, story-telling, theatre and puppetry; to get support from the larger community; and to have fun and just be children.
Join MECA in giving children in Gaza a chance to play and heal!
Year One
Teams of Afaq Jadeeda's trained staff members, supervised by a psychologist, visited 120 schools and community centers throughout Gaza to work directly with 110,000 children age 4-15. In addition to the group art activities, the teams identified children who need follow-up for their physical and psychological wounds and refered them for specialized ongoing care and treatment.
Afaq Jadeeda is worked with parents in Gaza because the best way for children to heal from their invisible wounds—their terror, their anger, and their deep and prolonged sadness—is to involve their families and their community. Experts have led 20-hour training courses for mothers in different areas of Gaza that gave 480 women new ideas for ways to support their children and children in their communities during this difficult time. Additionally, Afaq Jadeeda created and distributed 10,000 pamphlets for parents that gives advice on dealing with children during crisis situations such as last year's three-week assault.
All programs in the first year of the project were free, thanks to the support of MECA donors. Afaq Jadeeda has given us a tremendous opportunity to heal the psychological wounds of tens of thousands of children who might otherwise be facing a lifetime of depression, anxiety, and rage.
Year Two
Following the success of the first year of this unique program, MECA is supporting another year of this critical project. The Afaq Jadeeda team is continuing its very successful activities at schools and community centers throughout Gaza. A psychologist is offering an expanded training for mothers, social workers, and teachers in Gaza on how to identify signs of trauma in children and support them in recovering. And, responding to the feedback of participants, Afaq Jadeeda is organizing courses in creative writing, drawing, and drama for boys and girls in three locations in Gaza. This summer, they will host a running marathon!
We hope you’ll join MECA in telling the children in Gaza that together, we will raise $100,000 to keep this vital program running so that over the twelve months:
- 110-120,000 children participate in psychosocial activities at their school, community center or summer camp
- 500 children participate in running a marathon
- 240 children participate in month-long art classes
- 240 children participate in month-long creative writing classes
- 480 women (mothers, teachers, and social work students) receive 30 hours of training on helping children suffering from trauma
- A psychologist observes the children and makes referrals to Palestine Center for Victims of Trauma
Join MECA again in giving children in Gaza a chance to play and heal!
Gaza's Suffering: Project Background
The Gaza Strip is a narrow piece of land along the Mediterranean between Israel and Egypt. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the world with 1.5 million Palestinians living on 139 square miles of land. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that 56% of the population is under the age of 18.
Families living in Gaza suffer from high unemployment and even higher rates of poverty. The majority of Gaza's residents are refugees. They live in eight refugee camps to which the United Nations delivers health, education and other humanitarian services. The UN reports that the number of Gazans living in abject poverty—meaning those who are totally unable to feed their families—is 300,000, or approximately 20 percent of the population.
From December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009, Israel carried out a brutal, large-scale attack on Gaza from land, air, and sea that killed more than 1400 Palestinians, including 352 children according to Defense for Children International-Palestine Section. Israeli planes and tanks destroyed more than 3,500 residential dwellings and 20,000 people were left homeless. The numbers of people left dead and injured are staggering. Equally staggering are the effects of this sustained military attack on the children in Gaza.
Just after these attacks, the Gaza Community Health Programme estimated that half Gaza's children—around 350,000—will develop some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. And as recently as February 2010, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs found that 73% of Gaza children are still suffering from psychological and behavioural disorders, including psychological trauma, nightmares, involuntary urination, high blood pressure and diabetes.
