There is emerging evidence that violence experienced early in life can have a long-lasting detrimental impact on health, life skills, competencies, attitudes and beliefs. Research has shown that besides creating child-friendly spaces through kindergartens and schools, the way parents deal with their children is the single most important thing to child development. Consequently a child-friendly and safe family/home situation is crucial for healthy development.
In Shatila parents live (and grew up themselves) under difficult circumstances; in poverty, with high unemployment, suffering from (inherited) trauma and due to the camp’s overpopulation experiencing little to no privacy, even at home. There’s a lack of safe spaces for women and girls where they can express themselves freely, develop friendships, social networks and engage with mentors to seek advice from a supportive environment. Parents in general are stressed, overwhelmed and have no mental space to fulfill their important role in child development. Based on the above, there was a need to start a parent-focused project, to work towards the home as a safe space for children and parents alike.
With our afternoon program we are supporting our overall Early Childhood Education project by reaching out to the children who have left our kindergarten for school and therefore extend the support to them and their families, but also to other children their age. In modern understanding of teaching it is quite known by now that a holistic approach to education, learning in movement, emotionalized and activity-oriented learning, learning without pressure and fear, rituals etc are necessary for a sustainable learning an education success.