Darfur - Child Friendly Spaces |
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January 31st, 2007 - 07:05PM |
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I like this piggyback shot! El Salam Camp, El Fasher Photo: The IRC International Rescue Committee communications officer Emily Holland is keeping a blog of her trip to Darfur, Sudan. Providing a future for the next generation of Darfurians is a critical part of the IRC's mission. Displaced persons camps offer little to young survivors of atrocities, and to fill this void, the IRC has created 'child friendly spaces' – welcoming centers where children can learn, play and start to heal. In El Fasher, the IRC assists approximately 4,000 children displaced by the conflict. I visited our child friendly space in El Salam Camp to learn more from IRC staff. Where do these children come from? These children come from different villages. They were attacked and came here with their families. We find them in the camps. What do you see when they arrive? When children first arrive at the camp, they are in very bad shape. They are crying. They don't feel well. How does the IRC set up a child friendly space? First, we select a location for the center. Then we train teachers – we call them 'animators' – to work with children and provide them with psychosocial support. The animators go out into the camp and meet with families and local community leaders. They register the names of children who would benefit from our centers and encourage their mothers and fathers to let them come here. What kinds of activities do the children do? Many things: sports, singing songs, drawing and playing together. They learn the alphabet, how to read and do math. Many things. How old are they? They range in age from 4 to 7 years but often bring their little brothers and sisters. How can you tell when a child needs special attention? When the animators are carrying out their activities, they find some children who keep to themselves. They're always alone and don't interact with others. We train the animators to give these children extra care, to stay with them, to show them that our center is a safe place and encourage them to be happy. We keep a close eye on these children and gradually see them start to participate in activities. How can you tell when a child is getting better? When children first come, we give them drawing paper. They draw horrible pictures. After a while, they are drawing flowers and cars – many beautiful things. They start to speak again. What feedback do you get from the children's families? We encourage mothers and fathers to visit the centers. Recently, we asked some of them 'is it better for your children here or at home?'' They said here. Their children are doing very well. What would happen if these centers weren't there? If these centers weren't here, the children would have no future. These centers protect our children. They are safe here. They find themselves here. The camp is not a suitable place for them. What is your hope for this new generation? It's very important to give children the many things they need to grow. I hope they get an education and become healthy people. I hope they go to university and return to work with their communities. I hope that when peace comes to Darfur, these children are able to return to their villages, have nice homes and take care of other children. Posted By: Emily Holland | Africa, Children & Youth, Diaries & Journals, Sudan & the Darfur Crisis, _Emily Holland in Darfur Permalink |
