We all enjoy a good story, whether it's a novel, a movie or simply hearing about an experience from a friend. The type of work we do – providing a safe space for children in refugee camps to interact with each other through music, sport and play – means that we hear a lot of inspiring and motivating stories.
Refugee children constitute approximately one-half of the world's refugee population. A report from UNHCR states that children have special assistance needs in the areas of health and nutrition, education and religious, cultural and recreational. Through our work, we recognise that the provision of appropriate educational and recreational opportunities to refugee children can be a key factor in their development and successful integration; and with tangible results. Check out this young boy practising capoeira at Azraq Refugee Camp as an example:
Peppered in with the reports of progress and capacity building are a few stories that remind us of the trauma that the students we work with have faced. For example, women's trainer Kasandra Kachakji recently reported:
"Inconsistency in our programmes can have significant detrimental effects on the children. After funding for one of our programmes was suspended, one young Syrian girl thought I had passed away!"
Whilst we work to support these children in dealing with the impacts of trauma, this sad instance highlights the need for longer-term, sustainable commitments with strategic funding. This problem partially stems from the difficulty of humanitarian work in a context of regional instability. But a case for continuous, uninterrupted funding must be made. Long-term support not only provides flexibility (for quick responses to changing circumstances), but also allows for crucial relationships with staff and partners to develop. The band-aid approach does not leave much room to plan ahead, especially for longer-term psychosocial support programs in Jordan, for example.
True, there are other resources out there. Private donors are a target, particularly in regions where philanthropy is a focus. Philanthropic foundations can help, but this sort of funding sometimes comes with strings attached. Then there's the all-too-familiar appeals and campaigns to the public who will give generously for urgent humanitarian relief. Meeting basic needs is imperative, but when was the last time an NGO launched an appeal for a multi-year women's sports and health programme aimed at engaging participants in the design and implementation of activities?
Capoeira4Refugees is hopeful that donors will begin to think and see things differently.
True, there are other resources out there. Private donors are a target, particularly in regions where philanthropy is a focus. Philanthropic foundations can help, but this sort of funding sometimes comes with strings attached. Then there's the all-too-familiar appeals and campaigns to the public who will give generously for urgent humanitarian relief. Meeting basic needs is imperative, but when was the last time an NGO launched an appeal for a multi-year women’s sports and health programme aimed at engaging participants in the design and implementation of activities?
This leads me to the issue of bridging the gap between humanitarian and development perspectives in policy and operations, especially when it comes to responding to a protracted crisis. Capoeira4Refugees is hopeful that donors will begin to think and see things differently. We recognise that this work is not going to solve the refugee crisis nor the trauma people have faced during the conflict, but it is uniquely placed to give young people a non-violent way of expressing themselves through physical activity. We use capoeira to convey crucial messages about health, social inclusion, promotion of gender equality and post-trauma relief, all of which are crucial for present and long-term development.
The path to achieving these outcomes requires a socially-responsible approach which enables the young people we work with to own their challenges and solutions. We need donors to tacitly acknowledge the magnitude of the crisis and to commit to long-term support. The solution would lessen the burdens on appealing organisations, by reducing time and cost spent on numerous short-term projects, resources can be freed up to be spent on the actual work. This solution would allow for a smoother transition at the end of our programmes so that no other children experience separation anxiety from our trainers.
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