Iraqi Kurdistan: Project ‘Bringing Hope and Fun’ begins in Arbat IDP camp

By Terra Winston

This release from Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) was published today on CPTnet:

CPT Iraqi Kurdistan has begun a project, “Bringing Hope and Fun,” to work with children in the Arbat IDP camp for internally displaced persons, just outside of Sulaimani. Led by our intern, Alicja Zasadowska, and aided by the local organization STEP, we were able to create an activity for the children of the camp.

Photo courtesy of CPT

We asked them to draw a picture and write a story explaining the best day of their lives. The 25 children we were working with ranged in age from 5 to 15. For many of them, grief and horror has become a central part of their lives. People often ask them to reflect on these difficult things as they tell their stories. However, Alicja wanted them to share about something happy, so that they could practice cultivating good memories even in the midst of their trauma.

Alicja faced some resistance as she spoke with others about her intentions to have the children draw and write about happy moments. One father told her, “My children know nothing of joy; this project will not work.” Some of the staff at the camp warned her that “these children do not have happy stories to tell.” Another NGO questioned why we would want to share happy things, when sad stories influence people much more. However, her focus was not on others but solely on the children.

The look on the faces of these children when we asked them to share about happy moments was priceless. One 15-year-old young man burst into a smile and shook his head, “Yes.” You could almost see him transported to another place and time a he began to work on his drawing. These children have been though so much, but are still capable of happiness and of remembering joy. Even while we were setting up for the project a group of girls begin playing a clapping game in a circle.

For me, while sitting with people in their grief is difficult, I found it equally challenging to sit with these children in their joy and creativity. The humanity of young people drawing is something that I could easily connect to and understand. However, at times, something would call me out of their joy and into the surroundings of the IDP camp, and those moments almost broke my heart. The juxtaposition of these young people as they drew, made silly faces, sang songs, and giggled against the sorrow, cold tents, and worry of us grownups for their future, overwhelmed me.

“Bringing Hope and Fun” will be an ongoing project for CPT Iraqi Kurdistan. We hope to have an online gallery and perhaps create a book of the Arbat youths’ stories and drawings. We also hope to have a display at the camp for the children and their families to enjoy. We will update our Facebook page and CPTnet as these activities occur. In the meantime, please keep them in your prayers.

-- Christian Peacemaker Teams was originally begun by the Historic Peace Churches including the Church of the Brethren, and has the mission of building partnerships to transform violence and oppression, and the vision of a world of communities that together embrace the diversity of the human family and live justly and peaceably with all creation. Find out more at www.cpt.org.

Source: 12/10/2014 Newsline