Visiting the Shengavit Child Friendly Space.

This is the first three articles, where Mie Bertelsen, Action Against Hunger’s Communications Officer, describes her experiences from a field visit to the Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) in Armenia. These are a part of the Multi-Functional Centres, under the programme “Ensuring access to essential protection services for displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh in Armenia” funded by EU Humanitarian Aid and implemented by Action Against Hunger, HALO Trust, Partnership & Teaching and Mission Armenia.

On Friday, 27th May 2022, I was able to visit the Child Friendly Space (CFS) in Shengavit, Armenia run by Mission Armenia, along with the project team. Located within Yerevan, the CFS hosts families primarily from Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria and Yerevan. When we visited, the older children were engaged in an active learning game about tolerance, which focussed on negotiation and problem-solving, among other things. The younger children were doing art therapy together in the adjoining room. Aside from group activities, the centre also provides sessions with various specialists, including psychosocial support, speech therapy and explosive ordnance risk education.

Children, form the older group, participating in the group activity on tolerance.

The CFS leader explains that, initially, the children were closed and very hard to approach, because of the war and conflict they had experienced. “They painted and spoke with very dark colours and words.” However, as the CFS facilitators found topics to talk about with the children, they began to develop trust and the children started opening up, taking a more active role in the activities. “Now they are painting with bright colours and using hopeful words”.

Some of the younger children during the arts therapy session, in a room beside the older children.

Parents, who were attending a positive parenting session downstairs, agree that the CFS has helped them approach the children’s psychological and social needs. It has also helped them seek legal assistance and apply for social services. They appreciate the social aspect of the centre, both for themselves and their children, describing it as a “family”. They also comment on the quality of the non-formal education at the CFS, especially the English lessons, saying it is “better than what we learned in school”. The children have become more communicable and sociable. The services that the parents have been offered, both group and individual, have made parenting easier, and helped them understand their children better.

4-year-old Martizos was also receiving provate speech therapy, as part of the services offered at the CFS.

“The biggest achievement is that the children now come running to the centre, happy and embracing us” – CFS Leader

To read about 4-year-old Martizos, and his development in the CFS, as well as see more pictures, have a look at our Facebook page