Attica — Greece
Emotional regulation for Tots of Ritsona Camp
Offering psycho social support for children living in the Ritsona camp
Area — Special projects
Beneficiaries — 300 boys and girls
The Ritsona refugee camp is currently the largest camp in Greece, hosting more than 2,300 refugees and asylum seekers, 40% of whom are under 18 years old. Lighthouse Relief runs four different psychosocial support programs for children and young adults in the camp. In 2016, the organization established a Child-Friendly Space for children aged three to five to learn through play in a safe environment. While many of the children at Ritsona Camp have experienced traumatic situations and have been exposed to many issues at camp, it is important to provide them with the tools to recognize their emotions in order to manage them appropriately.
Therefore, with the support of Give a Hand, emotional regulation workshops will be added to the activities of the Child-Friendly Space. The activities of this program will allow children to recognize, name and manage basic emotions (anger, sadness, joy) in others and in themselves. The regulation and management of strong emotions helps to reduce disruptive and inappropriate behaviours. Workshops will include activities to relax muscles and recognize tension in the body, activities to express emotions, breathing and self-management activities, and finally, love and compassion activities between self and others.
Partnership between Give a Hand and Lighthouse Relief
Lighthouse Relief is a non-political, non-religious organization whose values are dignity, adaptability and accountability. It conducts programs that welcome all refugee communities and aim to promote a sense of empowerment and well-being. This Emotional Regulation project is a first experience of partnership between Give a Hand and Lighthouse Relief. It is hoped that this is the beginning of a beautiful and constructive collaboration.
Our mission is to provide dignified immediate and long-term relief to those experiencing displacement. We use a sustainable, participatory approach that is driven by those we serve.
Lighthouse Relief
In response to the increase in refugees and asylum seekers arriving in Greece during 2015, Lighthouse Relief was founded to provide emergency assistance to refugees fleeing conflict and persecution. Today, the organization provides psychosocial support to both residents of the Ritsona refugee camp and homeless refugees and asylum seekers in Athens. Lighthouse Relief's mission is to foster dignity and short and medium term moral support to those who have been displaced through the implementation of various programs. Christos Nikolaidis, is Lighthouse Relief, Country Coordinator in Greece