“Express to be strong” It is a slogan for a distinctive initiative of the Channels of Hope Project in the field of child protection, which was implemented by the Syriac Orthodox Archbishopric of Aleppo in the presence of 78 boys and girls who met with the implementers of the initiative in a meeting that included several activities.
First, a session was held to introduce children to the concepts of protection, children’s rights, safe communication with the environment, and ways to deal with abuse and report it if it occurs.
A dialogue was conducted with the children and they were encouraged to express freely and fluently the challenges and difficulties they face, especially during adolescence, and ways to overcome them, relieve the psychological pressure they may feel, explain mixed feelings, and the new experiences they are going through that help build and shape their personality and secure relationships with others.
The children participated with the team in several purposeful activities and games that depended on developing the concept of cooperation within the group to achieve and reach goals.
The Channels of Hope project is one of the child protection projects implemented by St. Ephrem Patriarchal Development Committee ( EPDC) for the third year in a row due to its importance in the field of preventing abuse, introducing children to their rights, and raising awareness of the various types of violence they may be exposed to.