Music and hope; a community initiative for displaced children
A group of young leaders and musicians launched the “Music and Hope” initiative in displacement centers in the middle area of the Gaza Strip, targeting internally displaced children, who have been enduring harsh war conditions for over 15 months.
This youth-led intervention was funded through the initiatives bank, launched be SDF in collaboration with the Save Youth Future Society (SYFS), funded by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Education Above All (EAA).
Joyful and musical atmosphere
Participated children highly engaged in the initiatives led by three young musicians, who played and sang hopeful music. “We could tell that children have been longing for such engagement. They attended two hours early, and the atmosphere was joyful among children and their families.”
The initiative mainly targeted adolescents (11-15 years), who were the most affected population by the harsh reality of displacement and war. Thus, it aimed to boost their well-being by fostering music to discharge tensions.
Ranging from recreational to educational activities, the initiative introduced children to the basics of playing music, singing in a group chorale, and types of songs. Over the 10 days of the initiative, they also learned about the music scale.
“We have deeply engaged with the children’s participants. They actively participated and encouraged us to pursue the initiative so that they could learn more and enjoy the power of music. Their families also reflected on the positive impact of the children’s participation in the initiative and they encouraged us to keep it up as possible.” Al Najjar says.
Trying to heal
The initiative was concluded on the 10th day which took place in Al-Zawayda in the middle area of the Gaza Strip, attended by children’s families, the SDF team, and representatives of the brotherhood displacement camp, where participated children performed a unique chorale, reflecting what they learned over the past days.
The chorale was surrounded by joyful moments of group singing of national and Palestinian folklore songs, not to mention the national anthem, which all express student’s resilience and attachment to their home.
The 13-year-old Ameera Al-Najjar says: “We had a lot of fun. It is such a relieving initiative through which we address the pains of war and displacement.”
The 14-year-old Deema Almobayed says: “I like this initiative; we learned music and how to sing bravely and fluently, to unleash the power of skills and voices.” Which is relatively the same reflection of the 11-year-old Waseem Waked.
“I enjoyed it. The war has been brutally hard, and the initiative was just a calm break.” Basma Abu Al-Kas, 13 years
Initiatives Bank to support young-led interventions
Through this platform “Initiatives Bank”, SDF created a space for young leaders to propose micro-community initiatives, where they received coaching and funding to be implemented.
12 community interventions have been launched since December 2024. They have all been supported and funded through this mechanism to foster the community engagement of the young displaced and enhance their well-being amid the brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023.