Aisha’s Story

The violence children in Gaza continue to experience can have a severe impact on their mental health and their everyday life, including their education. These children require professional mental health support. Schools can play a crucial role in addressing this need, helping to identify problems and facilitating the support children require. Parents also need support to better understand what is happening with their child and how they can most appropriately support their needs. However, of parents in Gaza, 25% indicated that there is no psychosocial and counselling support in schools.[1]

Thankfully, Aisha was able to access the support she needed though WA’s ‘School Counselling Units for Traumatised Children in Gaza’ project with our partner, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme. WA has supported the development of school counselling units in Gaza for over a decade, with more than 50 school counselling units established, supporting many thousands of traumatised children.

To read about this project and its impact in full, please click here.

This project was incredibly successful, with the following key achievements:

• Three school counselling units were established, furnished, and equipped in two schools.
• 12 school counsellors received training and were mentored by GCMHP, increasing their knowledge and skills to appropriately support students with mental health issues.
• The mental health of 371 traumatised students in the two schools was improved.
• Therapeutic recreational activities were held for the over 1,200 students.
• Increased awareness of teachers and parents regarding children’s mental health issues.

Aisha was one of these students. GCMHP’s professional psychologists, worked with the school counsellors to develop personalized interventions for Aisha, designed to help her manage and overcome her trauma. Aisha undertook a range of therapy in the new facilities, allowing her to express her emotions and fears. Play therapy, drawing, and relaxation exercises enabled Aisha to communicate her experiences. The counsellors also reached out to Aisha’s mother directly to provide family counselling, support, and education, emphasizing her crucial role in Aisha’s therapy. Aisha’s teachers were provided with psycho-education training, to increase their ability to support her academically and psychosocially.

As a result of these interventions, Aisha has experienced significant improvements in her mental health and wellbeing. Her mother and teachers have noticed that she has become livelier and once again she is actively participating in her education and social activities. There has been a notable improvement in her academic achievements, as Aisha begins to feel like her old self.

[1] Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessment, OCHA, July 2022 https://www.ochaopt.org/data/2022/msna

* Names have been changed