Addressing young girls’ mental health with theater in Gaza

In Gaza, UNESCO partnered with the Basma Society for Culture and Artsto enhance the resilience of children through puppetry, focusing on using puppet shows as a therapeutic and educational tool to support children affected by the ongoing conflict.Whilst alsocreating a safe and supportive environment where children can express their feelings, understand their experiences, and find hope amidst the challenges they face.

This program focused on various activities such as listening to music, singing, playing, storytelling, acting, and other interactive exercises aimed at helping children overcome sadness and fear as they work towards returning to their normal lives. Implemented through 15 sessions conducted over one month, the program will enable 30 girls aged 11-15 to take part in each session.

Using these puppets, the children have held plays and celebrations to feature their stories, experiences, and share their training outcomes and experiences with their parents.

The play unfolds by depicting daily life during the conflict, with the children discussing the past and the current reality. During the play, the children recalled happier times with celebrations, then shifted to an harsh reality that is faced by conflict. Dancing, which once symbolized weddings and joyful celebrations, has now turned into expressions of grief and sadness during times of conflict.

For the final act, the puppets return with a message of hope: "But life does not end, even in times of war. There is always hope. Let's continue dancing, but this time, let's dance for life."

As part of this program, parents were also targeted to raise their awareness, on how to interact effectively with their children during crises. It helped 180 parents enhance their children's mental health and psychosocial well-being; by creating a safe environment for their children.

While witnessing the impact these sessions have had on children and parents, Basma Society, supported by UNESCO, is more determined to continue spreading joy while providing basic mental health and psychosocial support activities through theatrical performances using puppetry.

UNESCO is mobilized to respond within the framework of its mandate for education, culture, and press freedom and to achieve the best outcomes in terms of family cohesion and child well-being in Gaza during times of war to help them cope and recover from trauma.