Child friendly spaces help kids learn to be kids again

14-year-old Hamaad fled Mosul with his family and wound up at a Child Friendly Space at Zelican refugee camp. Here, he presents a picture he’s drawn of his old home—including his sheep. Photo: World Vision

Children like Hamaad, Manal, Ahmed, Aman and Raqwa* have been through more terror before the age of 14 than most Canadians will endure in a lifetime. In fact, Iraq is now home to 3.3 million internally displaced people and 8.4 million people in need.
 
But because of dedicated supporters like you, kids are finally reclaiming their childhoods at our Child Friendly Spaces at the newly-built Zelican refugee camp.
 
“Our Child Friendly Spaces provide a safe place for children to come to terms with the violence they’ve seen and just take time to play as children again amidst the chaos of this conflict,” says Aaron Moore, Head of Programs in northern Iraq.
 
“We can only imagine the difficult journeys they’ve made and the horrors they’ve seen on the way,” he adds. “In most cases, they have nothing; they will be tired, hungry, thirsty and in need of food, water and somewhere to sleep.”
 
With help from people like you, thousands of families fleeing Mosul and surrounding areas are finding safe passage and are receiving basics including clean water, showers and toilets, hygiene kits and of course—places to be kids again.
 
* Names have been changed to protect children's identity.