Syrian youth find escape from harsh refugee camp life through circus

Syrian youth find escape from harsh refugee camp life through circus

 

"At circus we succeeded in getting youth to laugh, cry and care about each other. When playing games at times war trauma and violence were visible," says Topi Hurtig, a trainer for the Finnish circus association Sirkus Magenta. 

Finn Church Aid sent four social circus trainers to Jordan's Za'atri refugee camp at the end of March, then a second team in May, with a third and fourth team scheduled to continue the program until the end of the year. With social circus the aim is to support the wellbeing of refugees and to prevent violence and radicalization.
 
Finn Church Aid's humanitarian program is aimed particularly at improving the wellbeing of young Syrian men and women. At the refugee camp young adults, 15-24 years of age, are left without attention. Frustration and a lack of sensible things to do can manifest themselves in several ways, including outbursts of violence.
 
“The funny thing about circus is that it pulls you in quickly. So that you forget about everyday life.”, Hurtig says. He returned from Za'atri at the beginning of June and will return after Ramadan.

“Trauma inflicted by war can be seen in the youth as a kind of paralysis, or apathy. So it is important to provide them with regular, safe and stimulating activities.”

In accordance with their culture, young men and women practice separately with trainers of the same gender. Culturally speaking it is more difficult to get girls to come to physical activities. This is why the exercises for the young girls are done behind covered doors and windows.
 
Conditions for the refugees at the camp are harsh. During Spring it was really cold at the camp and  raining consistently. Then the summer heat arrived in the circus tents. In the mornings before sessions start it is often necessary to remove rainwater and sand that has flown in.
“So far we've trained with about a hundred youth,” says Hurtig. “Some of the men might train for a week and then disappear. Some young men might return to the camp from making war in Syria. Still I think that if we can reach or affect one person, that is a lot.”
 
Finn Church Aid started the circus school activity at the refugee camp as part of a bigger humanitarian operation which includes literacy and vocational training as well as physical activities.
The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs  has supported the humanitarian operation with 650,000 euros.