When Peter first joined our training in North Africa, he was carrying not only the weight of his own refugee journey, but also the grief of the many Sudanese children he was trying to help.
“I want to know how to help a child express their emotions in a healthy way,” he told us. But without the right tools, he and his colleagues often felt helpless.
Sadly, Peter’s story is not unique. Across the Middle East, millions of children have been deeply traumatised through conflict, cancer treatment or being orphaned. The caregivers who walk beside them, such as charity workers, teachers, health workers and church leaders, often don’t have the training and resources to help these children heal.
That’s why we launched Life in the Desert in 2016, a unique programme that equips caregivers to support children who have experienced trauma.
- During our training, Peter and his team discovered how to:
- Use therapeutic techniques.
- Spot signs of trauma and respond with care.
- Lead activities and discussions that help children express their feelings.
- Use stories from our 3D animated series to teach healthy coping strategies.
- Provide biblical reassurance that God is with us in our struggles and gives comfort and healing.
The training also gave Peter and his colleagues a safe space to process their own trauma and to be refreshed spiritually, so that they could continue their vital work with renewed strength.
“The training addressed a deep need we have, as well as the needs of the children we work with. Before the workshop, I thought it was difficult to deal with refugee children and bring out what’s inside them. But during the workshops, I learned it’s possible.“
– Peter, caregiver
The series itself is built on biblical themes. Its young 8-year-old heroine faces challenges that mirror the struggles of children who’ve been through trauma. Along her journey she learns about biblical heroes, like Abraham and Moses, who endured hardship and found hope in God. Through their stories, she learns courage, faith and resilience, and the children watching are invited to do the same.
Peter is just one of over 300 caregivers we have trained to help children in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Egypt over the past nine years. Together, they have reached more than 7,300 children in refugee camps, orphanages, hospitals, schools and disadvantaged communities with this programme. To make sure every child can fully understand the animated series, we’ve also produced versions in Egyptian and Syrian dialects, with a Sudanese edition coming soon.
And the children themselves are discovering hope:
“I learnt that no matter the hard situation I am in, God still stretches out His hands and holds mine.“
– Aysha, child refugee
Growing demand
Things move fast in the Middle East. Opportunities to bring hope present themselves unexpectedly, and so our responsibility is to be always ready. Just this summer we were suddenly asked to train 29 caregivers in North Africa. Between them, they care for 250 Yemeni and Sudanese refugee children and 700 children with cancer, as well as their siblings. How could we say no?
“The story in the animations helped us see things through the children’s eyes. It reminded me that trauma is real, but healing is possible.“
– Mina, caregiver
Demand is high for this programme and we are in discussions with 7 other organisations who together support thousands of children in urgent need of God’s hope and healing.
Looking ahead
War, suffering and grief continue in the Middle East, but so does the unstoppable hope of Jesus. With your support, caregivers like Peter are helping children to find hope and healing.
