More than just a safe space
In Alkashafa camp, child-friendly spaces are helping children affected by conflict heal, learn, stay protected, and rediscover hope.
As the sun rises, the gates of the newly established child-friendly space in Alkashafa camp in White Nile State, swing open.
Within minutes, children of different age groups begin to arrive. Younger ones are dropped off by their parents before they head out for the day’s activities, while the older ones walk in with some holding the hands of their younger siblings.
Social workers and animators arrive even earlier, ready to receive them. Rebecca and Ayat both from South Sudan and trained by UNICEF, run the centre, providing essential support the children need – from play to psychosocial support.
The mornings are busier and dedicated to outdoor games. In one corner is a swing and a slide. One by one, children push each other, while others cheer and wait for their turn. Giggles, screams and laughter fill the air. It is fun and excitement.
Nearby, a group of boys prepare for a football game. They stretch, warm up, and jog before the whistle signals the kickoff.
Al Mishal, 13, leads the red team while Butros, 14, is the captain of the blue team.
Rebecca stands nearby watching the game and providing support. Earlier she distributed vests and balls, all from the UNICEF recreational kit. The kit is filled with toys and materials designed to support fun activities in CFSs. For children affected by conflict and displacement, these games are more than fun and recreation, they are a pathway to healing, rebuilding and transformation.
“Play is very important for us here,” Rebecca says.
“They like to play, but what they don’t realise is that these games are therapeutic and help them build new relationships.”
About 150 children, majority of them out-of-school, attend the CFS daily. They participate in a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities like drawing, colouring, dancing, singing, football, and more. And the numbers keep growing each day.
Illustrating and colouring a new world
When the football game wraps up, the boys rush indoors to join others in drawing and colouring activities.
Younger children scribble on sheets of paper provided, while the older ones illustrate their life experiences.
Ayat moves around the room handing them coloured pencils and paper while also observing.
Each drawing carries a story.
The different drawings hanging around the small room reflect the children’s past experiences and the future they want.
Learning again
In the afternoon, the space hosts the Alterative Learning Programme that supports children who have been out of school for prolonged periods, helping them to catch up through an accelerated curriculum.
About 250 children are enrolled, attending classes in two shifts every day.
Beyond education and play, the space also fosters bonds through culture.
A group of girls stomp their feet while performing the Sudanese Kardafa cultural dance. The weekly cultural activities provide children from different backgrounds opportunities to share traditions and learn from one another.
More than just a space
Though small in size, the CFS offers more than just fun.
Both the refugees and host communities also access a wide range of child protection services. These include mental health and psychosocial support, birth registration for newborns and those whose certificates were lost during displacement and support for reunification of unaccompanied and separated children.
In White Nile, UNICEF in partnership with Green Dream organization is setting up child friendly spaces in refugee camps like Alkashafa under the PROSPECTs programme, to provide safe and structured environments where children can play, learn, and recover from past traumatic experiences.
