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SYRIA: Summer Programs Offer Safe Space and Play for 800 Youth

Thursday, 30 June 2016 20:13 GMT

* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

(MissionNewsire) Although war is still being waged in Syria, Salesian missionaries are providing a ray of hope through their summer youth program in Aleppo. Close to 800 young boys and girls are participating in these summer events made possible by 85 Salesian staff and volunteers. The theme for many of the summer events is focused on mercy and providing a safe space for youth to congregate, learn and play.

“Despite the war and the darkness deriving from it, we try to light a small lamp of hope in the hearts of the youth of Aleppo,” says Father Pier Jabloyan, assistant pastor at the Salesian center in Aleppo. “With great prudence and care we try to bring the children by bus to the oratory so that they may spend a few hours in joy and serenity.”

Since the outbreak of civil war, 7.3 million Syrians have been internally displaced within the country and 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees are in the neighboring countries of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq with a recent flood of refugees now seeking asylum in Europe, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Refugee camps in these bordering countries are overflowing with families in need of basic supplies, adequate shelter and safety as well as technical skills training so they can begin to earn a living in their new host countries. More than 6 million of those affected are children who have been put at risk of violence and are subject to a lack of essential supplies and destroyed infrastructure that has closed schools and hospitals.

Over the last five years since the outbreak of civil war began in March 2011, Salesian missionaries have operated three centers in Kafroun and the particularly high-conflict areas of Aleppo and Damascus. Each of the centers is staffed by three Salesian priests and a deacon and have been in operation since well before the start of the war providing educational classes, meeting space and social development and sporting activities for youth and their families. The centers also offer trauma counseling, emergency shelter, nutritious meals and medical referrals to those in need.

“Salesian missionaries are trying to help youth and their families focus on normal life amid situations that are very challenging,” adds Fr. Jabloyan, “In such a situation youth have even greater need for socialization, entertainment and fraternity. They need a quiet place where they can play and talk with their peers and supportive adults. We try to provide that safe space where youth feel safe so they can learn, process their feelings and relax with their friends.”

In addition to Salesian centers within Syria, Salesian missionaries have been helping Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt since early 2012 assisting between 400 and 800 refugees each day, many of whom are women and children. At these refugee sites, missionaries provide emergency relief by meeting basic needs and providing shelter, safety and medical assistance. Missionaries also offer technical skills training to assist refugees in the task of finding stable employment in their new host countries which for many is particularly challenging due to labor laws and a lack of established social and professional networks.

Salesian missionaries seek to assist the most disadvantaged and vulnerable refugees, particularly those living outside of protected camps who take risks in order to support elderly parents, wives and children. Offering skills training, advocacy and counseling programs, Salesian centers provide safe spaces for vulnerable refugee families to find a sense of community and peace.

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Sources:

ANS - Syria – The War continues, but the Salesian Summer Activities are back

UNHCR – Syrian Refugee Response

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