Report from MECA Gaza Projects’ Coordinator Ali Wihaidi After Visiting Khuza’a Project

In June, I visited a community space in Khuza’a that is one of four locations where MECA is supporting a psychosocial support project for children and families in Gaza following last year’s 11-day Israeli attacks. The project provides group mental health activities, individual and group counseling, and courses for parents in how to best support their children at home.

A warm welcome from the children was offered, full of enthusiasm and positive energy. The children were very happy to finally be part a project that would let them express themselves freely. They spoke about daily life difficulties, experiences during Israeli attacks, and family issues. These children suffer from different traumas as a result of the economic, political, and social situation in occupied Gaza. It seems that they have finally found peace among each other, and they are finally beginning to recover from their traumas.

The children were very friendly and insisted I participate in their team building activities. The visit exceeded my expectations in regard to the outcomes and results, I could see the children waiting for the next activities on pins and needles.

This is the first phase of the project in Khuza’a and will be followed with more specialized psychosocial support to improve their self-esteem, their problem-solving abilities, and their coping skills.

Children in Khuza’a need such projects since this marginalized neighborhood receives little to n attention from other organizations. Staff counselors and psychologists at the psychosocial projects MECA supports worked overtime during the Israeli attack on Gaza in August to check in on children and families by phone and provide advice and counseling.