New Children's Centre for Farchana Camp

Over 9,000 children from Darfur are to have a new Children’s Centre and help in overcoming the traumas they experienced in fleeing for their lives to the camps of eastern Chad, all thanks to the Jersey Overseas Aid Commission (JOAC).

The new Centre in Farchana Camp will mean the children can receive specialist help through therapeutic play using new equipment. Child friendly spaces throughout the camp will also be upgraded so as many as 300 children a day can enjoy sport and other physical activities as part of their recovery.

‘We hope that through play and by talking about their fears and insecurities the children will be able to overcome the violence of their past,’ said Cord Chief Executive Brian Wakley. ‘From this we expect that they will develop a healthy and positive attitude to dealing with conflicts and that they would learn to express themselves in non-violent ways,’ he added.

Refugee Zenab Daoud Ismael was born in Farchana camp. It’s the only home she has ever known. Now aged six, she loves to play in the child friendly space run by Cord near the block where she lives. When she was given a doll to play with she was thrilled and wanted to keep it as her own.

It’s toys like these and other play equipment donated by Unicef that are attracting more and more young children to come to the space after they’ve been to Cord’s pre school. It’s a place where they love to spend time playing with their young friends before going home. A place where the reality of their young lives can be forgotten for a while; where they can play like children the world over.

Fifteen year old Asha Abdallah Adouma loves playing volleyball.

She’s been enjoying the sport for two years now and plays so well that she has won a place in the team for her zone of Farchana camp .Asha hopes to one day compete in major competitions and even make a living as a player.

Also, a new shelter in a child friendly space of Farchana camp has been constructed. Funding from UNICEF means that children can now play protected from the intense heat of the sun.