The Psychological Guidance Centre in Faculty of Education at Islamic University of Gaza concluded the activities of Project “Psychological support for children and women affected by war on the Gaza Strip”, funded by Gift of The Givers Foundation, in presence of the representative of the foundation, a number of representatives of civil society institutions, members of academic and administrative departments at IUG and Al-Aqsa University, beneficiaries of the project and the faculty students.
Prof. Ibrahim Alastal, Faculty of Education Dean, underlined that serving Palestinian society is part of the faculty mission, which is to assist students in acquiring and applying skills the learn, adding that the Psychological Guidance Centre provided 24-hour services to all affected persons to contribute in mitigating post effects of war.
Dr. Tawfiq Shubair, the centre’s director, said that: “The Palestinian people are experiencing ongoing and successive crises through poverty, unemployment and siege, which have resulted in psychological, educational and behavioral problems”, noting that psychologists have spotted continuous acceleration in behavior problems among children, as well as anxiety, depression, and trauma among adults. The role the centre embraces is to provide psychological services that help mitigate and treat the aftermaths of war.
He added that, the Psychological Guidance Centre provides service to the Palestinian public at preventive or therapeutic level, from which this project has emerged to support people in multiple areas, and that “The project provided services in three areas: women; through informative meetings and psychological support, children; through recreational days, and individual cases”.
Dr. Basil Alkhodari, Director of Psychological Guidance Centre, explained that psychological guidance is a service and application concept that gives everyone a role in providing all services to the public, whether in clinics, schools, kindergartens and to all segments of the population. The situation in Palestine has resulted in a methodological preparation of treatment, guidance or recreational plans and programs, as well as logistical support for them.
Dr. Haitham Ayesh, representative of Gift of the Givers Foundation, explained that the project meant to relieve the accumulated psychological stress on important groups of the Palestinian people, clarifying that the foundation supports all projects aiming at strengthening partnership and cooperation with Palestine, and supporting them is part of the foundation’s activities.
The closing ceremony featured some of the activities carried out during the project, and the trainees addressed their experiences with the project.
