The Child Protection Team at MA’AN Development Center continues, through the Family Centers Project in partnership with UNICEF and community committees in several displacement camps, to implement a series of community initiatives aimed at creating a safer and healthier environment for children and their families. These initiatives help reduce protection risks that threaten their safety under the difficult humanitarian conditions.
The implementation of these initiatives came after participatory processes and field assessments that revealed several critical challenges, including lack of lighting, water contamination, poor hygiene practices, and rising levels of violence and health neglect. These findings required preventive and immediate actions to protect children and strengthen the resilience of families in the camps.
Initiatives that respond to different needs
“Light for Safety and Comfort” Initiative
This initiative aims to improve safety in the camp by providing solar-powered lighting solutions in corridors and toilets. It also includes awareness sessions for children and caregivers on personal safety and how to prevent abuse and sexual exploitation.
“Safe Light” Initiative
This initiative focuses on addressing the severe lack of lighting that puts children at risk during nighttime movement. It involves installing sustainable lighting units, holding protection sessions for children and workshops for caregivers, and engaging youth in maintaining the lighting systems to ensure sustainability.
“Their Health Is Our Responsibility – Together for Safe and Clean Water for Our Children” Initiative
This initiative aims to reduce diseases caused by contaminated water containers and poor storage. It includes awareness sessions for children and caregivers, a community cleaning day to sanitize water containers and improve storage areas, and continuous health follow-up by the community committee.
“Stay Clean” Initiative
This initiative responds to the increase in skin infections, lice, and weak personal hygiene due to overcrowding and displacement conditions. It includes awareness sessions, a full camp cleaning day, and the distribution of hygiene kits and supplies for families and children.
Child protection as a shared responsibility
These initiatives reflect the commitment of MA’AN Development Center and the community committees to creating a safer and healthier environment for children—whether through improving basic infrastructure like lighting and safe water, or by promoting awareness and preventive behaviors among children and parents.
Field teams emphasized that community participation is the foundation of effective protection, especially in displacement settings that require flexible and rapid responses to ensure children’s safety and their right to grow in a secure and supportive environment.
The teams continue their efforts to follow up on the activities and strengthen the impact of these interventions to reduce risks affecting children’s health and safety inside the camps.
