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As the crisis countries to escalate,
innocent civilians are being killed, and
great destruction is being done by the
firing and constant bombardment of Gaza
Strip.
The escalating cycle of retaliation and
counter retaliation, is causing terrible
harm to civilian populations. The
humanitarian situation continues to
deteriorate with grave consequences on the
lives, health and well-being of innocent
civilians, many of whom are children and
adolescents caught in the crises, has
reached an alarming level.
Amidst such gloomy circumstances, PYALARA
has implemented the Peer-to- Peer Counseling
and Beyond project.
The project went
through three plans;
Plan I – “Lean on
me…” Peer-to-Peer counseling and Beyond
PYALARA had selected a cadre of 22 youth
workers who have already been trained and
involved in PYALARA’s “We Care” projects in
Gaza Strip and employed them in intensive
counseling sessions with adolescents and
their families.
The project targeted several community
centers, family houses and available and
safe meeting places and the number of visits
per group highly depended on the need and
situation of the targeted groups.
The peer-to-peer counseling sessions covered
the five Palestinian Governorates in Gaza
Strip; Northern Gaza, Gaza , Middle
Governorate, Khan Yunis and Rafah. Since
Rafah and the Northern Gaza Governorates are
the most affected by the deteriorating
situation, then special focus was given to
those areas.
PYALARA conducted brain-storming sessions
with our youth – cadres in Gaza Strip and
their vision of the intervention needed
included the ability to make available some
recreational activities.
Plan II “On The Coach” Counseling
via Radio and TV
As a result to the brain-storming sessions
held with our youth-workers and volunteers
in Gaza Strip, PYALARA has found it highly
important to make available a special
call-in and interactive TV program (which is
also broadcasted on Radio) where adolescents
and their families managed to call,
discussed the psycho-social effect of the
situation on their children and got advice
and tips on how to deal with the situation
from experts in the field.
The topics that were chosen have reflected
behavioral disorders resulting from living
under crisis or in a war-situation. Callers
identified other problems and cases and the
specialists provided answers and tips for
each problem.
Plan III : The Hotline “Ihna Ma’ak”
The team of youth-workers who run the
hot-line got intensive training sessions on
the issues of traumas and behavioral
disorders resulting from war or crisis
situation so that they managed to help
callers form Gaza Strip and other areas with
similar problems. |
