Children in Lebanese and Jordanian refugee camps have very often experienced or witnessed highly traumatic situations like torture, bombings, massacres or rape. A lot of them are now struggling with on-going fears, anger or hopelessness. For some it is hard to take part in activities. They don’t eat or drink. When you ask them to imagine their “safe place”, they draw soldiers and tanks. Art projects that have been made at the camps, keep revealing these upsetting and serious conditions.

For mothers as well the bleakness of the camps, without any privacy or a meaningful occupation is like a dead end.

So how can these families gain new strength?

The Leyla project shows one way out of this despair: We are strengthening mothers so that they can help their traumatized children.  Female trauma advisors of our partner organization Ithraa are supporting the women in their healing process. Thanks to intensive training and support, these mothers can then become the safe place for their own children.

The powerful paintings of a course participant at Zaatari demonstrate how this is actually making a difference: When mothers are able to give their children a sense of safety, trust and warmth, they themselves become a “safe place” for their children.