Aiding Children Affected by Terrorism

In-order to provide moral and psychological support workshops are launched for deported children living in temporary accommodation centers in Tartous.

 in-cooperation with UNICEF and the Ministry of  Culture, the Directorate of Culture in Tartous launched workshops aiming at aiding the  children  affected by terrorism of the armed groups in order to provide psychological and emotional support to help them cope with their distress.

Mr.Shaheen Shaheen, the Director of culture in Tartous emphasized the importance of this campaign for children. It included workshops supervised by specialists in the centers of their accommodation.

The ministry of Culture works for this campaign through a set of ideas and visions related to children.

Mr. shaheen indicated that this campaign is directed to boost hope for children .It gives them leeway to express their love of homeland and life through creative ways trying to surmount the stress posed by the terrorists which prevents them from practicing their daily peaceful routines.

Mona Assa’d, the responsible of the activities in the Cultural Center in the governorate indicated the value of establishing such activities which are intended to help the affected children from  other places that witnessed brutal acts of killing and violence practiced by the armed groups. This fact clearly affected their psychological status. She pointed out that the role of the Ministry and the Directorate lies in providing support for them in co-operation with other establishments caring for children and childhood .

Besides ,Assa’d mentioned that these workshops include training children in the domains of music,art,calligraphy,writing short stories and handcrafts .In addition to activities related to interactional theater and narrating stories.

The workshops function according to a specific schedule every Tuesday in all accommodation centers .At the end of each workshop there will be an exhibition to show the work of children to the public.

Children expressed their excitement about these workshops asking for holding such activities on a regular basis since they enable them to express their sorrow and pain.

 They wished that Syria would overcome this crisis and the children could be able to go back home safely to their daily life.

Zainab Makhlouf