From Hassan, a drama teacher, Gaza:
"At the Child Smile camp, we travel with hope from one place to another, and carry in our hearts one message: every child deserves to smile. Between our mobile drama tents, we gather with children to live moments of happiness and warmth, to light up their world with fairy tales and timeless smiles. We left the sea after six months, and moved to the Attar region, to continue the journey and reach the hearts of other children, who are defying the conditions of war and the pains of displacement. We believe that joy is real, and that despite everything, there is room for love, laughter, and hope. Every tent we pitch is a promise of a safe place, where kids can be kids. We are here, with them, telling stories of joy, coloring moments with colors of hope, and planting in their hearts an energy that will never be extinguished. Your support is the heartbeat of this camp, let's create a world that carries joy everywhere we go."
Where are the children?
In a camp in Al-Attar, Gaza.
How are they helping the children?
Using drama therapy to help traumatised children cope with displacement and the loss of their families and homes.
Keeping Warm in Winter
They work in an area where there is no protection from the cold and the charity they have set up wants to build protected spaces for the children to work in. In order to do this they need to buy the materials which includes fibre glass, wood, simple flooring, solid roofing cover and an electric generator with fuel for the winter months. They also have to pay rent for the land and a security guard to protect the area. It is war and everything is expensive.
Who are the children and where are they from?
The displaced children are a mix of those accompanied by their families, and some of them are orphaned children accompanied by their uncles, aunts, or grandparents. There are also children without their parents, as their families have remained in northern Gaza, making it impossible for the children to return to the north, and their families are unable to come to the south where their children are displaced.
How many children are you hoping to work with?
1000+ over 6 months.
How old are the children?
The children's ages range from 8 to 15 years old, but we cannot turn away any participant, even if they are older or younger than our targeted age group.