Northeast Syria and Jordan
We had the privilege of facilitating two inspiring training weeks. One online with people in Northeast Syria and one in-person in Jordan, but both were filled with inspiration, courage, and creativity.
In early November, we organised a training week in Amman, Jordan carried out by Sounds of Change trainers Sander van Goor, Nour Hanna, and Atef Malhas, along with trauma expert Maartje Schel from Trauma International. They guided a lively and diverse group through a week packed with practical knowledge about trauma. They also covered a range of musical and creative intervention techniques that create safe spaces, bring joy, connection, and help reduce stress and trauma. Participants came from eight different partner organisations, ranging from youth workers, music teachers, clowns, and therapists. Each brought their own unique perspective, energy, and experience to the training process.
Thank you Ruwwad al Tanmeya, Red Noses, Action for Hope, I Dare, Al Balad theatre, Jesuit Refugee Services, Seenaryo, Madrasati and Tareq Jundi Music Academy for working together with us during this week and for the fantastic work you are doing in Jordan and the region.
Some beautiful quotes from our participants:
“It was not only a training, it was therapy. I truly needed this.
It changed me a lot, and I’m deeply grateful.”
“The training gave me a better understanding of traumatic experiences and the impact of social engagement and safe environments on reducing stress and calming the body’s alarm response.”
”The 6 steps, the games, and the warming-ups are very useful, I’ll definitely use them in our workshops.”
We'll return to Jordan next year to continue this journey and train several participants to become trainers. They can share our methodology and content toolkit to inspire others to use music and creativity as tools for psychosocial support.
We're also conducting the same training programme for local trainers in Palestine (the West Bank), Lebanon, and Ukraine. Our work in Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine is made possible with the support of the DROSOS FOUNDATION.
Since September we have also been working online with aid workers in Northeast Syria. At the request of the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA), we have trained staff from four of their partner organisations (Shams, Bahar, JFL and DemoS) that are also active in the region. They offer psychosocial support to various target groups, ranging from children and young people to women's groups and tribal leaders. We are deeply moved to hear how much the music and creative interventions in which we train the local professionals, mean to the people living in the most deprived, conservative, and challenging circumstances in the region, such as the Al Hol and Roj refugee camps.
We are deeply impressed by the work of NPA and its partner organisations and are very grateful that we were able to play a substantive role in further developing the knowledge, experience, and skills of the people doing such vital work.