Team Ward


01 June 2014

As the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria continues to worsen, so does its critical impact on Syrians. The daily exposure to violence and destruction, has led to severe psychological problems, manifested in emotional and behavioral disorders, noted among Syrian refugees. This necessitated great concern and rapid solutions, to meet the mental health needs that are steadily increasing among Syrians. To this end, a group of Syrian psychologists and Councillors living in Lebanon, volunteered to form the Ward team (Roses in Arabic), in June 2012.

The group started off by providing psychological support training for activists in Lebanon. Later on, the group established itself as a legal entity in Lebanon, while continuing to operate as a voluntary organization. “Syrian children have been traumatized at a really young age, and each one has a pocketful of horrifying memories”, one of the activists recounts, “we aim thus, not only to provide mental aid, but also, to help children cope and return to their normal everyday lives.”

This rehabilitation process involves educational and entertaining activities for children, and guidelines for parents on how to deal with their children’s negative tendencies. Additionally, the team have payed great attention to refugees with physical injuries. They tutored them in English and other courses, which has had a huge effect on injured refugees’ psychological well-being, they say.

Children in one of Ward's activities. Source: the team's Facebook page.
Children in one of Ward's activities. Source: the team's Facebook page.
The team launched several campaigns as well, the most prominent of which was under the name “Khibz wa Milih” (Bread and Salt, in Arabic). The campaign was a gesture of gratitude to the Lebanese people, for hosting Syrians.

Recently, the group are working on a project called “Building Peace Upbringing”, which is launched to teach children the values of peace, love, cooperation and acceptance of others.

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Illustation by Dima Nechawi Graphic Design by Hesham Asaad