Education Palestine Project #26834

Help Gaza Kindergartens Heal

by United Palestinian Appeal, Inc.

Project Report | Aug 31, 2018
Healing Through Feeling Touches the Lives of Fathers, Too

By Deena Faruki | Director of Donor Relations

Children need emotional and psychological support from adults in times of war and in areas of conflict. However, such support is difficult to provide when their parents and teachers are also traumatized by the events. After all, children are not the only ones affected by war and ongoing conflict. Trauma is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken in order for healing to occur.

Since the program’s inception, most Healing Through Feeling participants have been women, as women are the traditional caregivers of children in Gaza. However, Healing Through Feeling launched a pilot session this summer for fathers, who are also important figures in a child’s circle of support.

Adnan (whose name was changed for privacy) is one such participant. He is an accountant and the father of two daughters and two sons. He was afraid that he was losing his connection with them because of the trauma symptoms he himself exhibited: aggression, withdrawal, and constant stress.

“I needed help in overcoming these feelings and changing my behavior towards my children,” Adnan confided.

His wife had previously attended UPA’s Healing Through Feeling sessions, and urged him to attend as well. “You’ll find the answers to your questions there,” she had said. After learning about the symptoms of trauma, Adnan spent one-on-one time consulting with the mental health practitioners in the program.

With the help of his wife and UPA’s mental health practitioners, Adnan was able to mend his relationship with his children. He hugs them, plays with them, and is more open in his affection towards them. He happily notes the enthusiasm his children now display when he gets back from work. He noticed that the fear in their eyes had turned to tranquility and confidence in him.

“This is all due to the grace of God, and to UPA for implementing this program for caregivers. I now feel much calmer and proud of myself. I feel like I have the ability to help myself and especially help the kids in overcoming symptoms of trauma, changing their behavior, and understanding their social and psychological needs,” Adnan said. “Thank you UPA for this wonderful program, and I recommend that all fathers participate in this program that will change their lives for the better.”

This summer has been a productive one for the Healing Through Feeling program. A total of 264 parents, teachers, and summer camp activators attended sessions led by UPA MHPs, to the benefit of 750 children. As always, we could not do this work without you. Thank you for helping us continue to transform lives.

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Jun 5, 2018
The APA children's books have made it to Gaza!

By Deena Faruki | Director of Donor Relations

Distributing APA books and art supplies to parents

We are excited to announce that over 27,000 copies of the American Psychological Association’s most effective children’s books have finally arrived in Gaza and are now being used to help children, their parents, and their teachers understand and cope with trauma.

In December 2015, UPA signed a licensing agreement with the American Psychological Association, granting us the right to translate, layout, print and distribute five picture books that help caregivers communicate with traumatized children at their level about their feelings, anxieties and fears. The books are now being distributed as part of UPA’s Healing Through Feeling program, which provides training and resources for the teachers and parents of children suffering from ongoing trauma.

“I really benefitted from participating in the sessions and using the translated books,” said Sarah, a kindergarten teacher and a mother of two. “These stories focused on providing a safe place for the child, and an environment that can help him tell his story and express his thoughts and feelings.”

Sarah said that the books helped her understand what her 6-year-old son was feeling, and how she could support him through his trauma-induced nightmares, anxiety, and social withdrawal. “The stories taught me that it is necessary to use candid descriptions of the event, instead of using metaphors and placations because such behavior is confusing to the child,” she said. “It’s also important to help him understand that what happened was not his fault. A child sees the world though his personal experiences and may feel responsible for what happened, so he may be burdened with guilt. Moreover, the books emphasized expressing love and compassion by word and deed, as well as adhering to a daily routine.”

This sentiment was echoed by other mothers in the program. So’ad, a kindergarten teacher and mother of one, said that these books were “among the most important tools for working with the children,” and noted that they had a “positive effect” on her students and her son.

Over the last two months of the school year, a total of 106 teachers and 127 parents in Gaza attended UPA’s Healing Through Feeling sessions, ultimately benefitting 1,190 children – nearly double the number in our last report!

To increase the availability and quality of much-needed mental health support for Gaza’s children, UPA staff are also distributing a portion of the books to other Gaza NGOs and are in the process of visiting these organizations to explain how to best utilize these new resources. This work would not be possible without your contributions. With sincerity, we thank you for your continued support.

APA childrens books translated into Arabic

MHP Islam Abu Helo instructing a group of teachers

Links:

UPA press release about our licensing agreement with the APA

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Mar 6, 2018
UPA is Healing Family Bonds in Gaza

By Deena Faruki | Director of Donor Relations

Teachers taking part in a psycho-education session

“My little child has stopped having nightmares,” declared Wafa, a relieved mother of seven in the Gaza Strip. Like many in Gaza, she is the parent of children who have witnessed war firsthand and have been afflicted with severe trauma as a result. Among the many symptoms of childhood trauma are nightmares, fear, clinginess, and frustration. Without proper training on how to recognize and deal with trauma, many parents are left feeling trapped, not knowing how to approach their children or deal with their changed behavior.

Wafa’s son Yasser, who was 12 years old during the 2014 war, displayed the symptoms of trauma. Nightmares, fear of loud noises, and aggression towards his siblings became common. He was unable to sleep alone, and often refused to leave the house. Yasser hated going to school, and experienced a decline in academic performance. Try as she might, Wafa was unable to find a solution to remedy her son’s behavior. She felt that she was losing him.

“When I heard about UPA's psycho-education sessions from the Zaharate Al Madean kindergarten, I immediately agreed to join, hoping I could find any help or support to rescue my child from drowning,” Wafa said. Through the Healing Through Feeling program, Wafa was able to join a supportive group of mothers in similar situations. She spoke to UPA mental health practitioners about her concerns, and they provided her with training and advice on how she can best assist her son and help him overcome his symptoms of trauma.

“Yasser has completely changed, he became more energetic, more active and motivated. He loves school. He started to believe in his own abilities because of his teacher and our support and has improved academically,” Wafa said. “I wish all mothers would participate in this training, as I believe many children suffer from similar problems, but mothers are unable to deal with them properly.”

UPA’s mental health practitioners are now expanding their reach by working with 56 teachers, 82 parents, and 680 children in six new kindergartens. UPA is also training three new graduates to provide more consultations to parents and teachers in these schools. It is important to us that the children have safe and supportive school and home environments, as caregiver involvement is essential to healing. By providing mental health education and training, Healing Through Feeling is rekindling family bonds, making for happier families, healthier children, and brighter futures.

To learn more, check out the new Healing Through Feeling Video and as always, thank you for making our work possible!

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