By Will Mawhinney | Funding committee member
“Our mural at the public education center drew a lot of attention from the community. People stopped to watch - they had never seen youth doing such a project.”
Ali, Youth Development Officer with SMART art in Gaziantep, Turkey.
This sums up the impact of the SMART Art Project that shows great promise for displaced Syrian youths, connecting them with their host community through art and shared learning. With your contributions, the SMART Art project provides a place for young Syrian and Turkish people to express themselves through learning arts, music and drama. The youths use these new skills to contribute to their community; displaying their work to the public. It also gives Syrian and Turkish people a chance to engage with each other, build communal ties, and give refugees a needed sense of normalcy.
Art is a powerful tool for healing and expression, especially when people are unable to verbalise their frustrations. Young refugees now have a place to express their emotions in ways they previously could not. Participants in the first stage of this program show high potential as community leaders and facilitators for new participants. It will be a remarkable step towards empowering young Syrian refugees as active members of the community.
The situation in Turkey is troubled by conflict on its borders, and the future for refugees there remains uncertain. Despite this, both RIJ and SMART Art look forward to this project emulating the success of similar community projects around the world. We have seen similar results in a youth program for Burmese refugees in Thailand. The youth are connected with the community through music and sport and are proud of their contribution.
Your donations and continued support will help ensure that the SMART Art project in Turkey continues to give Syrian refugees hope for a bright future, human dignity, and a normal life.
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