Refugee Families affected by COVID 19 Pandemic

Background during and after the implementation of the project;

According to May 2020 estimates, 55% of the population lives in poverty, with an estimated 23% in extreme poverty; diminished economic activity from the port coupled with the economic stresses of COVID-19 are likely to exacerbate the situation. This has left an estimated 300,000 people homeless and rendered an estimated 70,000 jobless, further exacerbating both the risk of COVID-19 transmission as people relocate and the economic challenges the population faces. Economic pressures on children to engage in the workforce, already a challenge before recent events, may intensify as families combat deepening poverty. 

Walking into a refugee camp is like walking into a desperately overcrowded slum. The camps are only one kilometer long and accommodate between 25,000 and 37,000 people. Refugees struggle for even the most basic of needs. For electricity, families must string live wires to dozens of other wires, above the tiny walkways around the settlements. Every few weeks, someone gets electrocuted. Many houses are about to collapse, and most people needing care are not able to access hospital treatment. Those most seriously ill die.

Conditions in the camps are extremely challenging, with no clean water and high rates of violence against women and children. Inhabitants of the camps are in constant danger from exposed live electrical wires, a daily threat as the government refuses to supply electricity to the camps. Many refugees cannot get jobs. They are excluded from about 70 jobs including taxi drivers, according to Global Fund for Women grantee partners Tadamon and Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organization, leaving primarily menial labor like plumbing, cleaning, or construction available to them. Lebanese law does not extend citizenship rights to Palestinians or Syrians living in the country, limiting access to public healthcare and education in addition to jobs and increasing social harassment and stigma for refugees.

Naba’a Achievements; During the last period, The most highlighted achievements during the last period;

-          We at Naba’a are doing all we can to help all affected communities during this extraordinary crisis. Our assistance efforts go to all: Lebanese, refugees and others who were affected without distinction. The devastating impact of the explosion is compounding the challenges currently faced by Lebanese and refugees and adding even more difficulties as families were struggling to survive with the economic crisis that was exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19.

-          Naba’a provided cash assistance for 283 family distributed as 225 in Borj Hammoud and 58 in khandaa along with distributing disinfection / hygiene kits for 1050 families in Beirut and south. Where 150 families in Ein EL Helwi, El Buss, Burj Al shamali and Rachidie camps received hygiene kits in addition to 900 families in Beirut. As for food kits, 225 families in Mie and Mie area and Saida al Balad have provided with Food kits as well as 75 families in Ein El Helwe. Whereas, 306 families in Beirut have received food kits and distributed as 306 families in Khandaa in 900 in Borj Hammoud.

• 1120 parents and caregivers motivated to be engaged in their children learning and well-being.
• Around 2400 Youth and adolescents (70% females) involved in the life skills program including different topics such as (Communication skills, leader ship skills, how to protect themselves from abuse, reproductive health, peer to peer, human rights, child rights, women rights, etc…).
• Nabaa’ provided inclusive education for 3210 boys and girls of school age (6-12 years) in the Palestinian camps and Syrian gatherings in Lebanon (Tripoli, Saida, Tyre, Nabatieh) “In line with UNRWA's educational reform and MEHE curriculum to support the education of refugees children from Syria, Palestinians or Syrians.
• Children and women have been targeted in psychosocial activities as the following, 3051 children (males and females)and 550 parents most of them are women, including, vulnerable Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian refugees. Whereas, in Borj Al Shamali camp 555 children (males and females and 220 parents including (Lebanese, Syrian Refugees and Palestinian refugees).
• It is worthy to note that, two child friendly psychosocial spaces were established at two UNRWA clinics (one in Ein El Helweh and one in Wadi El Zeni), where 2350 children whom their families access UNRWA clinics participated and joined the activities in these spaces.
• Teachers started to adapt, cope and learn an applicable learning methodologies with regard to distance learning in order to refine a continuous level in serving students with stressing on ensuring that every student will get an opportunity to participate and express throughout the virtual classroom in addition to support parents in technological skills. Since greeting all students with their names played a vital role in enhancing students’ engagement and commitment as they stated to feel that they belong to the classroom no matter how and where the learning process takes place.
• Using visual aids is essential in the distance learning process, where Several videos and tutorials have been created by the teachers for the purpose of assisting students in learning the basics along with math skills to be capable of being in the first grades. In addition to that, teachers have conducted educational activities for students to have the chance in applying what they have learned in order to be able to provide them with a meaningful feedback to be more engaged and empowered as well. As well as, they lay emphasis on choosing a theme that will keep all the students interested in predicting what they will be learning as well as allowing parents to be updated with every step and in what they expected from the lesson content. Sending worksheets and a digital form to collect students’ answers was part of the assessment and evaluation process. Noteworthy that, rewarding students was part of motivating them where teachers used to post students achievements on social media platforms.
• 152 Students have enrolled in Nabaa’ kindergarten in three community centers. To ensure the safety of children during Corona-virus pandemic, the learning process was shifted to distance learning as teachers paid a home visits to their students in order to provide them with kindergarten books and toolkit to continue their basic education with extra curricula. A numerous of recreational and psychosocial activities for parents and children have implemented remotely due to a certain circumstances of Corona-Virus where psychosocial videos have been created and sent. on the other hand, a parent committee that consist of 12 mothers per camp has been formed to facilitate the communication in order to integrate them in educational process as a whole. Add to this, Parents have been targeted in a 60 awareness raising sessions that reside on diverse topics as child right, healthy life style, breast cancer, violence, communication skills, how to deal with their children, COVID-19, how to avoid stress during corona pandemic, how to take preventive measure and boost our immunity system during corona, how to develop social and emotional skills, stress management and how to calm our child, social distancing, expressing our feelings in addition to handcrafts.            
• 219 children aged 4-6 years who are Palestinian, Syrian and Palestinian refugees from Syria have enhanced their educational and social skills, along with 2809 female and 15 males of parents and caregivers have gained knowledge on different social, educational, emotional, and psychological skills. A change in attitude and behavior of parents has been noticed during the scholastic year, where they become more aware in how to deal with their children.

. Code: BO

2. Date of birth: 1997

3. Nationality: Syrian

4. Sex: Female

5. Referred by: social worker

6. Reason for referral: sadness, social isolation, pessimistic from life.

7. Risk level: Medium

2. Social Status:

single

married

divorced

widow

X

Girls

boys

Number of kids

0

1

1

Notes:

Education level:

illiterateoprimary middle secondary   bachelor   vocational

1. Economical situation:

1. Work: unemployed unstableostable

2. Type of work: didn’t work

3. Does the beneficiary receives financial aid: no

4. Family income: good medium   poor     bad

5. Dwelling: own  rental host tent

6. Number of rooms: 3

7. does anyone else live in the house? The beneficiary was divorced from 4 years, she lives with her parents and siblings.

Additional notes about the living situation for the beneficiary:

The father works like daily worker (porter), the family (8members) live from what the father earn daily. The family receives aid from organizations but the aids are not enough and unstable.

1. Health/psychological situation:

Beneficiary

Family

Is there a handicap (harmful, dumb...)?

no

Are there physical diseases?

no

Are there drugs that the beneficiary takes on a regular basis?

no

Is there a previous psychological review?

yes

Is there a neurologist?

no

Is there any drug use?

no

1. Method of monitoring the situation:
   The situation was monitored through a request by the mother to participate in awareness-raising sessions to help with social and psychological issues.

1. A summary of the background of the situation and the problem of the beneficiary:

After monitoring the situation through a follow-up request by the mother, the beneficiary started attending the awareness sessions while she refused to share her experience with the audience, but was asked to speak with the social worker, she was known to have married at the age of 18 by pressuring her family to accept the marriage contract.

After a period of marriage, the husband had to travel and keep her with his family, and several family problems emerged where she was subjected to verbal violence (insults, curses....) and physical violence (battering ...) by her husband's mother while pregnant, with the husband supporting his mother and blaming her. She was forced to abort her second child, and the intensification of the problems contributed to her divorce from her husband. She is deprived of seeing her child until now.

1. Psychosocial symptoms monitored:
   - Community isolation (staying for days without communicating or meeting with a parent or friend)
   - feelings of permanent sadness (most of the time)
   - Constant crying
   - loss of self-confidence and self-help
   - sleep disturbance (sleepy)
   - guilt

1. Data collection method:
   Data on remote follow-up (telephone) and sessions with social workers were collected

1. The method of intervention and follow-up:
   The intervention was carried out using the following points:
   - Awareness-raising sessions (early marriage, gender-based violence, sex versus gender)
   - Support and discharge sessions with social workers
   - Referral to a psychologist for follow-up

1. Recommendations:
   - Follow-up by the psychologist on a weekly basis through individual sessions
   - Follow-up in individual meetings with social workers

Links:

• Naba'a Website