The Challenge of Syrian Children
Even after a decade of war, Syrian children continue to pay the price, and even today, a third of children in Syria suffer from psychological distress such as anxiety, sadness, fatigue, or insomnia. There is a shortage of educational facilities as many schools have been destroyed, damaged, or are being used as a shelter for displaced families and military use. Syrian children with disabilities carry a double burden when it comes to violence, threats to their health and safety, hunger, risk of abuse, and loss of education, according to United Nations.

Our Design Approach
Empathic, Inclusive, Enabling, Healing Spaces for Orphans of Helping Hands of Lady Zainab Orphanage in Zainabia town in Damascus.

To assist in the healing and well-being of children born and raised in a war-torn country, we have designed inclusive, interactive spaces to be merged within the existing orphanage building. The learn-and-play unit works as an easily installed, highly customizable, mobile add-on space. The activities will aid in the cognitive, physical, and sensory development of the children. 

Horticulture Therapy With Native Herbs and Flowers
The Gardening unit makes use of the therapeutic nature of plants and aids in building confidence, creating a sense of responsibility, building trust, and releasing negative emotions.

Sound Therapy Using Natural Material
The interactive Sound therapy unit harnesharnessesind using natural materials like bamboo and offers acoustic comfort to children.

Animal Therapy: Friends of Urban Wild Life 
Friends of wildlife shelhelps in creating a bond with urban wildlife such as birds, bees, and butterflies by installing bird feeders, water features, and plants.

Art and Craft Therapy
The arts and craft unit encourages children to be expressive and channel their ideas. Pottery making, weaving, and painting not only release past traumas but also help them nurture their talents.

The design focuses on the empathic approach and keeps in view the sensitivity in all its elements to reduce the distress that the children of a war-torn country face and deserve much more nurturing and opportunities to grow.

 

Team Leader And Horticulturist
Zahra Ali is an environmental journalist and sustainability consultant with over 14 years of experience. She has educated over 11000 children from diverse socio-economic-cultural backgrounds and is the founder of The Green Pilgrim. In the past four years, she has conducted plantations and social work in Iraq and Syria and works to promote environmental awareness in the region. 

Design Lead: wm creative studio
Wajiha is the founder of WM Creative Studio senior faculty member at the department of architecture of the University of Karachi and has an exceptional portfolio of designing sustainable building solutions. Wajiha is leading a team of young architects to design and implement the play-and-learn unit.

Orphanage Incharge and Administrator
Sheikh Qasim is managing the orphanage in Syria wholeheartedly and is familiar with administrative affairs, and sources of local materials and services. He is supervising the on-ground work.

How Did We Meet?
Zahra Ali travels to Iraq and Syria often and conducts sessions and plantation drives to promote environmental awareness as the founder of The Green Pilgrim. Earlier this year she visited an orphanage in Syria and fell in love with the children. She saw how the small space offers happiness for the children and has the potential to be more. Wajiha also showed interest in designing spaces that offer to heal children, together they pitched the idea to Sheikh Qasim and it was welcomed. 

 

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