What does it mean to simply be a child again?
Across the West Bank, Makani Clubs are creating opportunities for children to heal, learn and simply be children again.
Written by Helen Barclay-Hollands
on July 17, 2026
My kids came home from camp this week exhausted and thrilled—full of stories about games, new friends, silly songs. It's the kind of joy I've come to expect every summer. I don't think twice about it.
For a boy named Ahmad*, that same ordinary joy took years to build.
Ahmad spent years isolated because of a disability, afraid of being judged, rarely speaking up. Through his local Makani Club—a safe space for children in the West Bank—he slowly found something he hadn't had before: acceptance. Room to try. People who listened.
Today, his peers call him "The Little Broadcaster." He leads. He encourages others. He speaks up.
Six-year-old Hala had a similar journey—from feeling shy and hesitant to confidently sharing her dream of becoming a teacher. (Her full story is linked below.)
Here's what stays with me: my children's access to play, friendship and safety is assumed. For many children in the West Bank, these opportunities are only possible through a deliberate investment in:
- Psychosocial support
- Safe spaces
- Trained facilitators
- Sustained funding
Makani Clubs help children in the West Bank develop life skills, strengthen resilience and rediscover the joy of learning and play.
Across more than 47 villages in the West Bank, Makani Clubs for young children have reached over 9,000 children this past year alone. Since October 2023, World Vision 's response has also supported:
- 93,000+ people with mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS)
- 35,000 children with safe play and recreation access
- 28,000 children in social-emotional learning programs
- 126,000+ children through school-based learning
We talk a lot about food, shelter and safety in humanitarian response. We talk less about what it takes for a six-year-old to feel safe enough to speak in front of a group again—or for a boy who once withdrew from the world to become someone others look up to.
Every child deserves the chance not just to be protected, but to dream, thrive and lead.
*Name changed to protect identity.
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Makani Clubs and Summer Camps in the West Bank are implemented by World Vision with the support of World Vision Canada and the Humanitarian Coalition, with funding from Global Affairs Canada through humanitarian programming mechanisms, along with other donors and supporters.