“Amir is getting worse.  More and more withdrawn,” says Amir’s mother, Mahasen.  As she speaks, nine-year-old Amir slumps further into the plastic chair in his grandfather’s yard.  Amir’s own home used to be right next door.

Though four months have passed since Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip, scars are still clearly visible.  More than 95 bodies were unearthed in the ruins of this pocket alone, including that of Amir’s father.  He was killed while trying to help a neighbour.

Beside grandfather’s home are the characteristic flattened stacks of concrete that indicate a house was shelled by a rocket fired from an F16 fighter jet.  This was Amir’s home, which his father and uncle built together, and which they had only been living in for three months.

“I was afraid in the war,” says Amir. “Now, we live with my grandfather, because our house is gone.  It was bombed by Israeli planes.  My mum and my brothers and sisters all share a room – seven of us.”

Starting to share
Mahasen says her boy has found it increasingly difficult to communicate since the death of his father and loss of his home.  So much hinges on Amir’s involvement in World Vision’s psychosocial program at the Beit Lahiya kindergarten.  Art therapy, puppetry and games are all conducted in safe spaces run by trained educators.  The activities help children to express their feelings and better cope with their experiences

Lena Kasem is an educator working with Amir and other children who’ve suffered terrible loss.  “Immediately, I noticed that he was inactive and afraid,” she says.  “I tried to involve him with the activities but he was hesitant, until I started with the drawing activity.”
 
“Amir drew a helicopter, airplanes, rockets and a man in a grave.  I decided to ask him about this drawing.  It’s when he started to talk about the accident of his father.”

Next steps
Lena noticed that Amir was more open to participating in the other activities following this “art therapy” session.  He was happy and excited about the puppet show she says – so much so that his mother asked staff about the positive change in her son.

“Amir got up early and was very excited to go to the kindergarten,” she reports.

Facing the loss and pain of recent months is no less difficult because of the psychosocial activities – but here children are given the freedom and chance to grieve and also laugh as a way of healing and moving forward.

Amir now speaks of wanting to be a doctor when he grows up – perhaps because like other children, he saw wounded people and wanted to help them.

Mahasen is facing an uncertain future with six children.  World Vision recognizes that she needs practical help to eventually support the children on her own.  The organization plans to include her in a job creation project focusing on the rehabilitation of agriculture in the area.  And since her son is included in the sponsorship program, World Vision will continue to support the family and community to access the basics such as quality education, health care, food and clean water.