Dignity for displaced women and girls in Lebanon

Background during and after the implementation of the project; According to the Vulnerability Assessment Framework conducted by UNHCR, approximately 25% of Lebanon’s current population is refugees from Syria 2015 -2016, and based on the updated assessment conducted by Naba’a during December 2016 which aim to address the main priorities and needs of the Syrian refugees and highlighting the main gaps within the services, the most highlighted findings of the assessment showed the followings;

• All displaced Syrians (Syrian Refugees from Syria) Responded that the situation is not good at all in the Palestinian refugee camps (Ein ElHelweh, El Buss, Rashydieh, Naher El Bared and Baddawi camps). camp. SRS children are afraid; the families as a while feel generally unsafe.  The conditions are overcrowded. All SRS interviewed have been in camp for 2-5 years.
• With the influx of Syrian refugees the most marginalized areas such as Old town of Saida and Lebanese gatherings have become overcrowded and very unsafety.
• The rates of early marriage are high among Syrian population groups, with over 50% of females reporting marriage before age 18.38. It is to be noted that marriage under 18 is a culturally accepted practice in Syria, especially among rural populations, and predates the current crisis. However, fear of rape is quite prevalent that refugee families are marrying off their daughters very early. In some cases, families in refugee settings resort to early marriage, usually to an older male relative, as a safeguard to their ‘honor’ or to hide the fact that a girl has been raped. It is also important to note that some surveys indicate that young Syrian girls are subjected to significant pressure to marry older men. Some women indicated that “Arabs men think women are cheap” because they can command a less expensive dowry. Hence, neighbors and strangers are more likely to approach a family with marriage proposals for their young daughters.

Naba’a Achievements; We aimed to address unmet reproductive health and psychosocial support needs of adolescents and young persons in marginalised and impoverished communities by protecting them from the followings;

• Sexual Transmitted Infections
• Protecting youth and adolescents from risky behaviors
• Gender based violence, particularly focusing on early marriage, forced marriage, sexual abuse and harassment, sexual transmitted infections.
• Responding to the needs during the reporting period, we targeted the most marginalized young and adolescents (Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinians),  it is largely based on a model of integrating reproductive health services, with health advice, counseling and health promotion.
• A reproductive health team including (Gynecologist as a referral, urologist, nurses and psychosocial counselor) offered a social, health and psychosocial counseling.
• General health advice and counseling.  Team members also conducted health awareness and out reach activities.
• A referral system established for cases such as (STDs, sexual abuse, early marriage girls, young mothers, etc…) in coordination with Primary Health Clinics.
• A Peer to Peer team consisting of 20 members (the peer to peer team played a role as health educators in the community. One is made up of young people to raise awareness and to be a source of information and positive role models in their communities.
• 2000 Young persons, children and adolescents empowered to become active agents of risks facing adolescent and young girls such as abuse, early marriage, etc…through monthly raising awareness sessions through different methodologies;
• A Consortium member consisting of NGO’s is established
• 100 Advisory classes implemented in Schools and VTCs targeted 400 young adolescent and girls
• Local Community and active members particularly the popular committee, political factions and active stakeholders, municipality in Ein El Helweh, Old town of Saida and Rashiydieh camp are made aware about risks facing adolescents and young girls. 

Case Study

- Date of Birth: 2001

- Nationality: P / L

- Grade and school: X

- Interests: Driving a car

- Sex; Female

- The number of family members: 7

- Ranked among her brothers: 1

About the life of the child: the child lives in a very small house and her economic situation is bad, she is the oldest among her brothers. Her relationship with her father and brothers is very bad, as they are not listening to her opinion. As she mentioned his father is always angry and nervous which makes the family to live in a tension and frustrated life. The girl always complain about the situation of her family.  

Economic situation :The economic situation is bad, the father is a farmer and they are living in a very small house. The father is always complaining about the income of the family which is not satisfied and affordable to buy their basic needs.  The health situation: The girl suffers from allergic asthma

Social Situation; The relation between the girl and her father is not good, as he is communicating with her in a very bad and violent ways.

-      The relation between the girl and her mother is good

-      The relation between the girl and her brothers is not good, she feels jealous from them, as they are free to do anything, which she is obeying the rules of the family.

The problem that the girl is suffering from: The girl is suffering from her bad relation with her family particularly with father and brothers, this effect badly on her academic levels and grades and her social life and relation with her friends.

Intervention;

1. One to One session 2. Awareness sessions3. self-confidence and self esteem activities4. Breathing exercises to reduce tension Recommendations:1. Follow-up to the girl on a weekly basis2. Intensify activities and relaxation one to one session to reduce the psychological problems of the girl3. Engaging the girl in the voluntary activities within Naba’a programs

Background during and after the implementation of the project; At the outset of the Syria crisis, over 280,000 Palestinian refugees lived in Lebanon, mostly in deplorable social, economic and environmental living conditions; since 2012/13, a further influx of over 44,000 Palestinian from Syria has put further pressure on the physical and social infrastructure of the camps and gatherings, and on the overstretched network of basic health, education and relief services that are provided to the refugees. Whilst Palestinians from Syria have recently lived through the horrors of the war and the misery of displacement, the ones from Lebanon have faced hardship and conflict throughout their lives; both groups remain dispossessed and marginalized, experiencing extreme socio-economic and cultural vulnerability, and facing a future that can be defined at best as uncertain.

Naba’a Achievements; Together with our psychosocial support, education and protection programs, the most marginalized and at risk of abuse children need the support of their families, communities and local government agencies to realize their rights. We work closely with the community to satisfy other immediate needs, help break the cycle of violence and ensure the effects of our work are felt long into the future. The most highlighted intervention during the reporting period is as the followings;

-          It is thus critical to focus on mental health and psychosocial support, and to implement community-based mental health care. Strengthening Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Palestinian Camps and gatherings for children, women and families effected by Syrian Crisis. 

-          More than 800 children (males and females) were provided by recreational activities and structured life skills methodologies and improved their emotional and social wellbeing. 

-          During this period, an intervention is focused on both formal (professional) and informal life skills training for youth particularly young females and the target group will be 46 Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese youth. The objective is to give them opportunity to understand each other’s situation and working on enhancing their social situation together through community activities. This lead to reduce the tension among the youth.

-       October is considered as a “Breast Cancer Month” where more than 2000 women (Palestinian refugees from Syria, Palestinian Refugee from Lebanon and displaced Syrians) participated in the breast cancer campaign, raising awareness workshops and in the diagnostic screening.

Case Study  

• Name : 9112016 
• Nationality : Palestinian  
• Date of birth : 13 / 8 / 2000 
• Place of birth : Ein El Helwe – Heteen district  
• Members of family : 3 female ( Excluding father and mother )  
• Child arranging in family : the eldest
• Brief overview about the child life: The child lives with her father and mother in a house composed from 2 rooms . she was studied in Qibia school but she stopped because she exposed to violence from the teachers , also she don`t like studying so she prefer to learn hairdressing in an institute .  For 3 months after that she left the institute and prefer to stay at home and her family agree with her and don`t motivate her to continue her studying because they are illiterate. The child become introvert and has no friend to visit them .  
• The economical situation :  

The family suffer from bad economic level , the father`s work is inconstant he works in building . Although  he suffer from problem in his back and he stay jobless for along time

The family depend on Aids from UNRWA organization to ensure their needs especially the cost of medicines they need . 

The family live in their own house but it is unhealthy because of the humidity and darkness , the sunlight don`t enter their home .  

• The health situation :  

The health of the child is good but her mother and father from problems in their backs ( Disk ) her sister also suffer from Asthma and she need monthly medicine .  

• The social situation:  

The relation with her mother and father is very strong , she`s spoilt and especially that she`s the eldest daughter so they bring her all her wishes .  The relation with her sisters is very good she take care for them and spend most of her time with them she deal as if she is their mother . The relation with her friends : after she left school her relation with her friends stopped , she don`t communicate with them . 

• Problem :  

The introvert and her anxiety about her sisters , she`s in tension all the time .  

The child don`t get out home except to bring the family needs . 

She always feels responsibly for her sisters to protect them from any danger . 

• Data collective :  

The data collected from the home visit and the interview with parents and also from the observation .  

• Intervention :  

Make the child conscious to live her age and about the important of the integration in the society and the important of having friends . 

Integrate the child in the psychosocial activities ( she deal methodology ) .  

Integrate the child in Yoga activity that aims to build up her self confidence . 

Listening session with her to reveal the causes of her anxiety and worry . 

Communicate with the mother and sharing her in awareness sessions ( parents deal ) . 

• Recommendation :  

Regularly following during activities and also in home visits . 

Enroll her sisters in the recreational activities . 

The girl is enrolled in an vocational training center