You Create

Contact details

Submitted by: Sendrine Constant – Head of Protection Sector

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.tdh.ch/

Social: 

Facebook: facebook.com/tdh.ch

Twitter: twitter.com/tdh_ch

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tdh_ch/

Introduction to the project 

Country

Irak / Egypt – MENA

Duration

October 2017-June 2019

• 2^nd phase planned – waiting funds availability

Description

Children and youth-led art initiatives to support their psycho-social well-being and protection in migration and adversity settings.

Project aims 

YouCreate aims to strengthen the well-being, resilience and social cohesion of children and youth affected by migration and adversity through access to self-led and tailored psycho-social art-focused services.

Main activities of the Good Practice

Objective 2 of the GCR - Enhance refugee self-reliance: The project helped youth to gain social respect and learn to live together: As youth gained a sense of self-confidence and learned to express themselves, they also expressed that the project helped them to gain social respect – respect from their community, families and their peers. They felt more confident in their social engagements and felt that they could contribute meaningfully to their communities to some degree.

Partners

Local Community-Based Organisations from refugee and host communities.

Challenges and how they were overcome

Time availability of the youth – leaders and participants as they were either studying or working was a challenge. This was overcome by adjustment of timing of activities.

Results of the Good Practice 

• Youth gained a sense of purpose and hope: Though their daily circumstances are difficult, some youth expressed the ability to think and envision towards their future. Enhancing youth’s future orientation creates space for youth to contribute meaningfully in both personal and community spaces, enhancing their ability to experience meaningful participation
• Youth experienced self-discovery and found new ways to express themselves: Youth experienced self-discovery, gained self-esteem and found new ways, including creative ways, to express themselves. Youth Leaders active engagement in Participatory Action Research training created time and fostered opportunity for them to explore new ways of engaging and discover their potential in arts-based processes and leadership with other youth

Next steps 

Methodology / approach to be replicated in current projects targeting youth empowerment.