In July, Anar began its accompaniment of children in the Gaza Governorate and the Middle Governorate, while continuing its support of caregivers. Anar provides children with play and arts-based interventions that encourage them to speak about their experiences in non-harmful, age-appropriate ways. Rather than traditional talk therapy, facilitated arts activities allow children to best process trauma and begin a healing process.

“Tree of Life” is an activity Anar uses in a range of settings to help children and caregivers focus on the comforting, joyful parts of their lives, even in the midst extreme violence. Here, children put their hopes and dreams on the leaves of a tree to talk about their positive experiences and memories and focus on their full humanity.

Anar’s activities are designed with the knowledge that children are with them for only a few hours a week. The rest of the time, they are vulnerable not just to the harsh realities of the genocide, but also to the stresses their caregivers face as a result of their own traumatization. Anar deliberately holds all of this complexity in mind and honors the integral role caregivers play in accompanying their own children as they build resilience and develop psychological immunity.

Most of the exercises, gatherings, and play-based activities Anar does are energizing and positive. Anar helps children focus on remembering good times from their childhoods before the war and hoping for a future they would like to see based on their earlier life experiences. Anar never ignores the genocide, but offers space apart from the harsh realities children face every day.

The children Anar has begun to accompany in Gaza are in two main groups. One is highly traumatized. They have lost either their entire family or part of their family. The other group is made up of children who have faced adversities, but haven’t directly lost family members or experienced significant distancing from their families. Creating separate spaces for these two groups allows Anar to support all children in ways that best address their needs and experiences.

Anar uses a methodology with caregivers and children that has been developed by its partners at the Children and War Foundation. It draws on elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as EMDR and IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapies, without being traditional “talk therapy.” The interventions are body-based and resilience-focused. There is no one methodology Anar uses in Gaza; different techniques serve different needs, communities, and environments.

Anar’s work in Gaza is much more sensitive in terms of mental health and psychosocial support. The environment in which facilitators work is inconsistent and very dangerous. Just a few days ago, Israeli forces bombed an area Anar has previously used to gather children and work with caregivers. The extraordinary Anar staff and facilitators experience violence themselves, while also accompanying children and caregivers in Gaza.

From now until the end of September, Anar’s plan is to move through a cycle of art and movement-based interventions and supportive activities that will increase children’s resilience and coping skills, while also continuing to work with their caregivers. To learn more, join us on October 13th.

In July, Anar launched a new collaboration with Beit Canaan Association for Culture and Arts in Al-Arroub Refugee Camp in Hebron as part of its ongoing efforts to promote mental health and community empowerment.

In Tulkarm in June, Anar focused its Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) accompaniment on a variety of sessions with children and caregivers in Kafr Sur, Nur Shams Camp, and Iktaba, in cooperation with the Sports Club, the Palestinian Union of Persons with Disabilities, Ummahat Al-Mahjar, and Al-Quds Open University. Anar also launched a new partnership with Al-Awda Educational Center as part of its efforts to strengthen community partnerships and expand access to mental health and psychosocial support services.

In Tubas, one of Anar’s newest sites, Anar launched MHPSS interventions in June all across the governorate for children and caregivers in Tubas City, Tayasir Village, and Yarza Village. These activities were implemented in collaboration with Al-Ikhwa Club–Tubas, Sanabel Platform, and the Women's Social Center.

Another new collaboration began in June in Masafer Yatta, specifically with residents of Wadi Al-Rakhim south of Hebron, where children and caregivers face the continuous threat of settler violence. Anar’s accompaniment of the families of Wadi Al-Rakhim focuses on strengthening the resilience of the local community and centering the right to play for children who deserve to fully experience their childhoods.

Anar’s MHPSS Unit began its collaboration with the Burqa Village Council and Impact Club in Nablus in June as part of its ongoing efforts to build strong local partnerships and provide meaningful support for children and caregivers while promoting the well-being of the local community.

In Bethlehem, closer to Anar’s central office, interventions this summer have targeted Dheisheh and Aida refugee camps and were carried out in cooperation with Darna Community Care Center, Rayhana Association, the Women's Activity Center, and Real Academy, with the aim of providing safe spaces for support and self-expression and promoting mental health and psychosocial well-being.

Also in Bethlehem, Anar’s Expressive Arts Unit implemented the "Team Up" group at Khotwa Sawa Center. Here, sessions aimed to provide children with a safe space for emotional release though movement-based and other creative activities that strengthen children's self-awareness, promote healthy emotional expression, and enhance social skills.