A Summer Club Helps Children to Positively Spend their Summer Vacation
In order to help children spend their time during the summer vacation positively in a safe environment and to discover and develop their talents, The Service and Relief Department –Diakonia, at the Middle East Council of Churches, Syria’s Office, organized a summer club for 200 students aged between 6 and 13 years old, in Al Asieh School in Jaramana in Rural Damascus.
The atmosphere was interactive, fun, joyous and full of enthusiasm including many interactive recreational and educational activities and sessions such as Arabic and English languages, mathematics, mental math, sports, handmade crafts, drawing, theatre, music, mental and competitive games that were also accompanied by two psychosocial sessions per week entitled “Self – Journey”.
The summer club targeted vulnerable children that were affected by the Syrian crisis in order to help them release their stress resulting from social and academic pressures.
The summer club helped children to better manage their time, learn new various skills, and make new friendships.
The summer club was concluded with a fun day for all children. In the last week of the club, joint activities, games and handmade crafts were organized between the mothers and their children.
The participant children received school kits including school bags with stationary along with food kits and winter clothing kits.
In parallel with the summer club, MECC team implemented positive parenting sessions for the mothers of children who participated in the summer schools. The sessions addressed positive parenting, correct methodology in dealing with stress and self-care, age-specific characteristics, effective communication and problem solving in order to improve their relationship with their children and families.
It is worth mentioning that the summer school teachers and PSS facilitators had a training on the basics of psychosocial support and child protection before launching the summer school. The facilitators attended as well additional training including practical sessions to improve their experiences so they can provide the most appropriate psychosocial support to children.