Safe and secure environment for the children of Domiz Camp

Syrian Children in Child Friendly Space. Domiz Camp, Duhok./PRESS PHOTO

The Kurdish Globe
Shvan Goran--Duhok

More than 1200 children have access to schools provided by KRG inside the camp 

 

In a humble room in which the walls are decorated with children's simple but ambitious drawings tens of the refugees, children are sitting on the ground and chairs doing various activities.

Over one hundred children attend the Child Friendly Space in Domiz Refugees Camp every day. They do a wide range of activities which the center has provided, including play and recreation such as games, sports, art, drama and music, as well as child protection activities, such as children's rights awareness and hygiene promotion. In addition to these, they're learning to read and write Kurdish letters.

Parween Abdul Aziz , one of the center organizers says that many children of the camp have a lack of confidence as they're far from their homes and some of them have seen bodies and blood in conflict areas of Syria, that's why they've sent them to "Doctors without Borders--and psychological centers in the camp so as to be treated.

Parents prevent their children from going out due to lack of public places such as parks and resting places, that's why when they're attending the center, they feel very confident and they don't want to go back home soon, the center hasprovided a safe and secure environment for them.

Parween refers to the lack of green areas and parks in the camp which affect the children, adding that sometimes children in the center draw the camp with green areas, indicating that they want green areas.

The center has conducted many workshops for the parents in order to deal with children in a good manner, because as Abdul Aziz claims, many parents hurt their children and beat them when they are disturbing their parents, and this is due to the high psychological stress they're experiencing.

Child Friendly Space has been opened by ACTED, a French Organization, since June this year for Syrian Refugees in Domiz Camp and it is supported by UNICEF.

On the other hand, more than 1200 students continue their study in the camp. They started going to the schools from thebeginning of September in special halls provided by KRG inside the camp.

SadeeqSharo, Director of Media at Duhok Education Directorate told the Globe that the KRG supplied education requirements for refugees in Domiz camp. He stated that all required equipments have been supplied, such as desks and books, adding that the education process in the camp is going on in a normal manner and students can study from the first to ninth stage in Arabic language.

Sharo said that the Minister of Education along with a delegation from directorate of Education in Duhok and UNICEF visited Domiz camp recently and observed the manner of building some new halls for the refugees, children in order to facilitate the process of education in the camp, as student numbers are still increasing.