We are happy you came across our project and would like to utilize the following pages to give you an insight into our work, aims – and dreams!
We are happy you came across our project and would like to utilize the following pages to give you an insight into our work, aims – and dreams!
As many others, we truly believe that education is one of the most important pillars of development as it is a chance to break the cycle of poverty and lack of rights.
We are passionate about giving the wonderful children of Shatila and their parents a future of better possibilities and hope, as we aim at introducing a reformatory, humanistic and creative approach to education, that hopefully has an effect extending into the children’s life at home
In a nutshell, just.childhood is dedicated to the children of Shatila Refugee Camp in Lebanon. The idea of establishing our kindergarten Bait al-Shams was born out of the needs of the community.
Just.Childhood and its kindergarten Bait al-Shams are founded on the social ideals grounded in an abiding belief that we can make a crucial difference in building a future society that is less violent, more just, and truly compassionate.
Waldorf Education in general wants to do something about our increasingly violent world. Few in the media draw a clear connection between violence and the way how we as parents and teachers raise and educate our children. Abstract concepts, rote learning, and standardized tests cannot develop the emotional and social intelligence our children need later in life to build relationships, contribute to society, and succeed in the workplace. Waldorf schools provide much-needed pathways toward wholeness—sensory and nature-based education; the arts; character education; community building; traditions of hospitality to name just a few.
If you meet our team working in Bait al-Shams, you’ll notice that each of the team members is originally from Shatila Camp. Therefore, all of them are deeply connected and dedicated to serve their community and its children in the best and most loving way possible.
In our kindergarten, everybody is treated with respect and love. The educators try to talk and encourage the children always in a positive way and to act as a positive role model. There is no shouting or stress or punishment. Without pressure, children learn better! That does not mean that we do not have rules and it does not mean that the children are allowed to do anything they want. But it means that the children are given the opportunity to channel their emotions and their energy into something constructive.
We would not have been able to start our project without the trust and support, financially and/or morally by our private partners, institutions and partner NGOs in Germany and Lebanon. We appreciate their support very much, especially for the trust in a new project like ours.
With your help, we provide the children of our kindergarten a reformatory and sensitive approach to education based on the filial play to encourage their physical, emotional, mental, and social strength