The Listening Stone Part 2: An Overview
Since May 2023, we have been actively working in an IDP camp, where the majority of residents are families who fled from ISIS in 2014. We run a dramatherapy program for children age 4 - 14. The children look forward to this program every week as it provides them a safe space to have fun, be creative, and connect with each other.
This year, we launched the Listening Stone Program Part 2, a continuation of last year’s program. While some of the themes were similar to last year’s (dreams and hopes, facing fears, self-worth) some themes were new (working together, forgiveness, being crowned).
Week 1: New Adventure
Our first week back in the camp was absolute fun! Together with the kids, we went on a snowy adventure complete with fake snow and imaginary snowball fights.
Even though we had not seen these kids in 2 months, they remembered our group agreements, such as the need for respect, no hitting, no bad words and listening to teachers while in the tent. We were even able to successfully implement a new rule about stacking shoes neatly in the corner!
For us as a team, this first week was a testament to the trust and connection we have built with these children. Seeing how eagerly they have been anticipating our return to the camp reminded us or how important it is for them to have a safe space where they can experience fun, creativity, and healthy interpersonal connection.
Week 2: Working Together
For Week 2, we went to sea! It was wonderful to see these children, many of whom are usually fighting, working together for a change. The boys, especially, very clearly enjoyed the experience of building a boat together and imagining themselves as sailors.
The kids also thoroughly enjoyed a game in which they pretended to be the crew of the ship and had to follow the orders of a very fierce captain (our team member Janan). Wow, they made scrubbing the deck of a ship look really fun!
It was wonderful to see all age groups engaged in this week’s activities. Despite the fact that none of these kids have seen the sea or the ocean, they were very immersed in their imagination!
Week 3: Group Identity / Standing Strong
Our third week was focused on building on the theme of working together and building group identity. The children made flags to represent themselves and their various national affiliations. Many proudly drew the Iraqi flag, while for some it was simply a chance to make a bold statement with their favorite colors.
For many of the younger children, having a flag made out of their hand outline was a fun experience - the chance to express their individual identity in a creative way!
Week 4: Overcoming Obstacles
In every program cycle we have run, Week 4 is when we begin to get into the deeper therapeutic work. The focus of this session was about identifying and expressing anger. Rather than tell the children NOT to feel anger, we offered them some healthy ways to release it.
One of our team members shared an inspiring story from his own life about working in a foreign country. Despite having no experience related to the job, he overcame many challenges and eventually became a manager at his workplace.
Next, every child got to share or draw the things that make them angry or frustrated. Our team did a fantastic of helping each child to open up about their negative emotions. Here are some of the things they shared:
I get upset from bullying.
I get upset when I failed in school.
I get upset with my friends. They beat me, annoy me, and take my stuff from me.
I get angry when my older sisters beat me and my friends. I get upset when they all talk about me.
I hate when anybody raises their voice at me.
When I talk, my father didn't believe me. He says you are lying. I get very angry and I cry.
I get annoyed with big cars and loud voices and I hate fire and the heater.
After the children wrote down or drew the things that make them angry, they got to put their letters/drawings in a special box. At the bottom of this box, we always place the seashell that we have used as the Listening Stone in the story of No-Name/Precious. This is to remind the children that someone is listening to them and reading their letters. Putting their letters in a box and closing the box also allows them to feel a sense of closure after expressing such big feelings.
To end the session, the children got to tackle an obstacle course that allowed them to release all that emotional energy. It was so great to see the kids (especially the boys) cheering each other on as one-by-one they punched through a piece of paper!
Week 5: The Shield
Now that the kids had learned about anger, it was time to talk about forgiveness and working together with others. The kids learned about the shields of gratefulness, forgiveness, and collaboration. Then they got to work in groups, making their own shields.
At the end of the session, each child got to think about which shield they needed the most in their lives right now. Many of the boys said “working together” but many kids also said “forgiveness”. Even though these concepts may be foreign to these children, we have noticed the boys expressing interest in learning how to work together.
In a society where strength is celebrated and violence is seen as a solution to problems, it can seem counterintuitive to talk about forgiveness and kindness. Yet it’s these seeds of change that can break the cycle people find themselves stuck in.
It was especially moving to see the boys, many of whom are usually fighting with one another, work together so enthusiastically. We can see how the enforcement of our group agreements (no hitting, fighting, bad words, etc.) coupled with a safe, loving, and consistent space has opened up new avenues for them to interact with one another.
If this level of change could happen in less than a year, imagine the transformation that we will see 2 years from now!