Psycho-social support for children in Palestine

Over the past few months, ASHTAR Theatre has brought its theatre-based psychosocial intervention to Amari Refugee Camp in Ramallah, Palestine, working with 6th and 7th grade students at the UNRWA Boys and Girls Schools. These workshops are more than play, they are spaces for students to express, process, and begin to heal from the daily pressures of life under occupation, displacement, and social marginalisation as well as addressing issues associated with drop out rates and abstenteeism.

In the boys’ school, the sessions focused on emotional expression through storytelling and team challenges. One student shared: “The games made me feel like I belong in the group. Like I have something to give.” Another said: “I didn’t want to talk at first, but then I saw others laughing and joining. So I tried.”

Our trainers picked up on quiet but powerful transformations. “There was one boy who had just arrived from Gaza,” a trainer wrote. “He was isolated. By the third session, he was helping organise his group and even laughing during the theatre games. He found his voice.” Another facilitator added: “Some boys started calling out bad behaviour in their group, asking others to let people speak. That didn’t happen in the first sessions.”

The girls’ school offered just as much depth, and at times, heartbreak. Many students used theatre exercises to reveal stories they had not been able to share anywhere else. “One girl wrote a letter to herself saying she didn’t want to be alive anymore,” one facilitator recalled. “Another told me I reminded her of a mother she doesn’t have. She held my hand and asked me not to leave.”

Yet even in that vulnerability, there was light. As one girl said after acting in a role-play: “I felt like I could finally say something without fear. I was someone else, but I was also myself.”

Another session focused on periods and puberty, topics usually shrouded in taboo. “They were so nervous,” the trainer said, “but after we talked about how the body works, they opened up. They even started asking questions about religion, politics, everything. They were eager to understand the world.”

Our trainers repeatedly noted signs of emotional distress, withdrawal, bullying, anxiety, but also moments of leadership, peer support, and spontaneous kindness. “After just three sessions,” one trainer reflected, “students were apologising to each other after conflicts. One girl who used to bully others came up to me to ask for help resolving a fight, not to cause one.”

Teachers and school staff played a vital role. In nearly every session, they briefed us on student needs, supported interventions, and encouraged a positive environment. One teacher filled out a post-session survey saying: “We are proud to work with you. The girls feel safe, and that is the most important thing.”

Thanks to your support through GlobalGiving, over 100 students participated in these transformative workshops. They laughed, cried, played, and reflected. Many learned for the first time that “the person in front of us may be fighting a battle we know nothing about,” as one trainer reminded their class. And for a few hours each week, they were not just students in a refugee camp. They were artists, dreamers, writers, leaders.

From all of us at ASHTAR Theatre, and from the brave young people of Amari, thank you for making this possible. Your support is a quiet act of resistance, reminding these children that they matter.

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• At the same time, our Gaza-based trainers were active as well.

Only due to your ongoing support and trust, we are able to build on the interventions we have been delivering since November 2023. Please, read the entire report to learn about the impact of your donations, our continued work with existing local partners and the new opportunity: psycho-social support at UNRWA Schools in the West Bank and in Jerusalem.

We have secured a 2-year partnership with UNRWA Schools in the West Bank and Jerusalem. It enables us to deliver psycho-social support through relief sessions and a training programme for student and educational staff.

The scope of this intervention is very ambitious as it considers 96 UNRWA schools, approx. Palestinian 45000 students and approx. 2000 staff over the next two years subject to funds available.

This month, we began the sessions in Al Am'ari Refugee Camp in Ramallah working with two schools, one boys' and one girls' school. 

We continue delivering psycho-social sesisons through Defence for Children International Palestine (DCIP) and Dar Al-Amal for children and teenagers in their care. We are targetting children aged 12-18 years old, as this age group is the most vulnerable to psychological trauma and complex emotions due to life challenges, including armed violence-realted stress, social pressures, and other factors affecting their mental health. The number of participants varies depending on court decisions and residence at Dar Al-Amal, ranging from 7-15 participants between October 2024 and January 2025. We have received an overwhelmingly positive feedback. Consequently, we are committed to expanding this initiative and will continue working with DCIP and Dar Al-Amal throughout the year.

In Ramallah, ASHTAR Theatre remains committed to supporting Gazan refugees, many of whom have been displaced for nearly a year. These individuals, particularly children and the elderly, continue to face immense challenges, including displacement and critical medical needs that necessitate ongoing psycho-social intervention. Through our partnership with In'ash Al-Usra, we continue to provide essential relief and trauma recovery support, addressing both individual and family needs. Our efforts remain focused on community rebuilding and fostering emotional healing, ensuring sustained care and resilience for those affected.

Your continued support is crucial to sustaining and expanding this impactful work. Every contribution helps us reach more children, teachers, and families in urgent need of healing and stability. Together, we can offer hope, resilience, and a sense of belonging to those who need it most.

Thank you! 

ASHTAR Theatre