Psychosocial Support for Children in Lebanon
Strengthening Hope Despite all Challenges
Amidst the difficult living crises that cast a shadow over Lebanon, many families struggle to make ends meet and secure a source of income that enables them to face the daily challenges which are surrounding them. In light of this bitter reality, children are negatively and greatly affected by the socioeconomic pressures that their parents have to pass through. Sometimes, children are unconsciously abandoned and develop poor coping strategies to deal with this reality.
In this context, the Department of Diakonia and Social Service Department at the Middle East Council of Churches, Lebanon’s Office, in cooperation with the international humanitarian organization Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), organized, during July, new psychosocial support sessions with the aim of helping children overcome the difficulties that they may face in their daily lives.
These sessions were implemented at Our Lady Dispensary affiliated to the Middle East Council of Churches, and located in Sabtiyeh – Beirut, where the participants learned new skills and tools in order to deal with current and future challenges. Hence, issues discussed during the sessions included bullying and how to deal with it, psychological distress, and unpleasant feelings or emotions.
In addition, the children gained, during the sessions, knowledge on how to defend themselves and were instructed about their rights. Moreover, sessions boosted children’s confidence and gave them more hope for a better future.
