Every Thursday, displaced girls aged 11 to 16 gather at a centre in Deir el-Balah for a cinema-style session organised by the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations-USA. The programme uses a television, plastic chairs and popcorn to create a brief break from life during the war.
The one- to two-hour screenings also include games and guided discussions about emotions, personal safety, boundaries and protection from harassment.
A small cinema experience in Deir el-Balah
The activity began with 15 to 20 girls attending a session. It now accommodates about 35 to 40, with participants bringing friends after hearing about it from others. Films are selected around issues relevant to girls of their age, and facilitators discuss the stories and characters after each screening.
Fourteen-year-old Natalie al-Hatoum, who was displaced from Gaza City’s Remal neighbourhood after her home was bombed, says the centre gives her a change of atmosphere. She has been living with her family in a single rented room in central Gaza and says the sessions leave her feeling lighter and more positive.
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Support beyond entertainment
Psychosocial facilitator Jehan Abu Zanouna says the activity is part of a wider effort to support children who have experienced difficult conditions during the war. The sessions are intended to separate the girls temporarily from the tents, heat, insects and other hardships surrounding their daily lives.
The discussions are designed to help participants talk about what they feel and understand how to respond to situations they may encounter. The programme covers personal safety, boundaries, emotions and inappropriate behaviour in age-appropriate, practical ways, according to Abu Zanouna.
A place to talk and recharge
Fifteen-year-old Rama Abu Mohammed describes entering the centre as entering “another world”. She says it gives girls a safe place to discuss difficult experiences without embarrassment and helps them disconnect from the pressures of war.
Zahra Abu Mohammed, a staff member at UOSSM USA, says the organisation uses films to open conversations about emotions without making them feel like lessons. After the sessions, Rama says she returns home feeling as though she has recharged, while Natalie looks forward to telling her family and friends about the film and discussions.
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