Cycling4Gaza and the PCRF joined forces this year for the launch of the Gaza mental healthcare project.

Here are a few snippits of information regarding the project:

1. Check out the video below to get some insight on the project. Ghozlan, one of the children from the screening tells her story and her subsequent experience in the mental wellness summer camps in Gaza this summer.

   

2. Dr Bahar Hashemi, a pediatric psychiatrist based in the U.S., visited Gaza in order to develop the Gaza Mental Health Project in collaboration with the PCRF, CMBM and C4G. A Few Words from Bahar: “These two miracles, Yamen and Janna were pulled out of the rubble after their three level family home collapsed last year killing 19 of their family members, including their entire immediate family. They are now living with their uncle’s family in central Gaza. Their uncles wife was so happy to talk about yamans experience at the mental wellness summer camps, saying it was like “magic.” bringing joy to him and lifting his mood. In addition to some of the most beautiful kindest souls, I have been blown away by some of the most incredible mothers I have come across here in Gaza. When one of Yamans cousins teased him about not coming out of his mothers womb, he went to his uncles wife and asked if this was true. She said to him, yes that’s true but you both came out of my heart, and that is all that matters.”

   

3. The valiant effort to heal ‘unimaginable’ levels of trauma among Gaza’s children – Annie Robbins, Mondoweiss – “As the devastation in Gaza continues unabated, teams of medical professionals work to combat the psychological impact on children raised in that densely populated and blockaded human laboratory. Many of those children have already lived through 3 major military offenses. I saw a photo today of some of those beautiful kids — visiting the graves of their fathers and brothers killed in Gaza during the summer slaughter of 2014 — and wondered how those kids were holding up.” Thank you Annie for continuing to draw awareness on the current situation in Gaza and the importance of providing support where we can.

4. The PCRF Team in Gaza continue to work with the children to help alleviate the symptoms of PTSD. The team are a lively, energetic group who are passionate about their work to heal children in the face of such big challenges. As you can imagine, the team members have endured and witnessed unimaginable amounts of trauma and suffering, which has a direct impact on them in varying ways. The need for self-care and support from one another cannot be understated. Here are a few testimonials about their experience in the groups:

   “The skills provided me with serenity I’ve never felt before; meditation filled me with spirituality in my prayers, I felt like it was the first time I actually prayed!” – M.A.

   “It was a great chance for us as PCRF staff to know each other, the iceberg between us is destroyed and we can communicate and work with a new positive spirit.” – M.F

   “I’m pleased to be a part of such new, unique, and sophisticated training. I was able to discover my feelings. I’m ready to face problem and solve them. I needed this training; it helped me avoid negative thoughts and recharged me with cheerful thinking.” – A.G.