When social workers from two Palestinian refugee camps in north Lebanon first learned about World Vision's new Caring for Caregivers project, they had trouble believing that the project
was about meeting their needs and not just another technical training.
'We worked and lived [at the camps] under a lot of pressure, and we always thought 'who would possibly think of us?''
said Fatmeh Shahine social worker at the Najdeh non-governmental organisation (NGO). 'When we were informed about the idea, we couldn't believe that such a project came true. [So far] we have cried,
laughed, played, explored our strengths and weaknesses and enjoyed trust and comfort.'
World Vision officially launched the Caring for Caregivers project Wednesday in Beddawi Palestinian
refugee camp, to meet the needs of a group of people often overlooked when it comes to addressing the stress created by conflict.
'The NGO I work for tries to support us a lot, but what we
actually needed is a project like this, that eases our built up pain,' said Ilham, another social worker.
A World Vision assessment conducted after months of fighting in Nahr el Bared
Palestinian refugee camp which displaced thousands of people to the nearby Beddawi camp, showed that children and youth displaced by the conflict suffered from high levels of trauma because of the
war. In addition, parents, teachers, and social workers have said that they were facing high levels of daily stress because they had to meet their own basic needs and those of the internally displayed
people.
'People who care for others affected by trauma often experience the same hardships themselves,' said Zeina el Khoury, coordinator of the Caring for Caregivers project. 'They suffer
from the same physical, psychological, and social impacts of war and share similar hopes, fears and questions. Without a clear vision on what care to give to humanitarian actors, there is the risk
that the ability to care for the community will be overwhelmed by the demands of different stakeholders. The more we nurture this culture of caring, the safer the community is.'
Very little
effort has been made to meet the specific needs of caregivers from the two camps affected by the fighting, said el Khoury. Most psychosocial interventions focused on recreational activities promoting
child protection, she said.
Caring for Cargivers also aims to reach as wide a cross-section of humanitarian actors from the two camps as possible. All 30 local NGOs and associations active
in both camps were invited to take part in the project, said el Khoury.
In the first phase of this three-year project, World Vision will work with around 65 humanitarian actors from 25
NGOs to teach them how to express themselves through methods such as writing, painting and acting. Afterwards, the project will work with the directors of the NGOs to boost their managerial skills and
enhance their organisations' structures.
This project is funded by World Vision Australia and is being implemented in partnership with the Palestinian Child and Youth Institute.
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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
An internally displaced boy, who fled a military offensive in the Swat valley region, pushes a wheelbarrow through the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Jalozai camp, about 140 km ...
