Within the framework of the Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights implementation of the activities of the Integrated Protection Project for the Families of Prisoners and Detainees - Inclusion and Rehabilitation, in cooperation with the Swiss Drosos Foundation, yesterday, the first day of the recreational and social families that brings together the mother and the child was implemented. (Atfih - al-Maasara - Dar al-Salam and al-Basateen - al-Khalifah - Bulaq - Imbaba) This was the first day of captivity in Al-Azhar Park. The people and families of Imbaba and Bulaq area, and from the first day of captivity, (26) families benefited from (88) family members Prisoners and detainees, which is the first activity that brings together the mother and her children in the embrace of nature and within the framework of a complete social and psychological educational program specially planned for families to raise their awareness and strengthen their ties, in response to the requests and suggestions of families in providing and implementing such activity.
The second family day was organized at Alazhar Park to benefit 61 family members from 20 families, this is the first activity to gather mothers and children in the nature in the context of a social, educational and psychological program planned for the families to increase their awareness and tighten their bonds, in response to the families requests and proposals regarding providing such activity.
Today witnessed a remarkable turnout of families and their children in the project, and the program set by psychologists and social workers met a response and interaction between families and children, and it is worth noting the accuracy of the design of today's program, which allowed families to participate and effectively express their educational problems with their children and exchange the families' experiences among themselves in stories and situations similar to an elaborate facilitation of Facilitators and lecturers of educational and psychological sessions.
The children's segments that discussed self-esteem through games and competitions witnessed a remarkable change in children's behavior throughout the day, from good dialogue to less violence to the cleanliness of their places in the garden and the collection of the day’s waste and placing it in the garden baskets.
The program included meetings between the mother and her children to talk about the positives of each of them, the mothers mentioned in their children the best traits and behaviors, and the children said in their mothers the best traits and behaviors in its paragraph to maximize the self, spread the spirit of positivity and increase intimacy between the mother and her children.
One of the most prominent problems that families have raised today is their struggle and confusion between their children completing their education and going out to work and providing for the family after the breadwinner’s absence in prison and the family’s economic crisis. Perhaps the most prominent solution that the project team presented with specialists and lecturers to families is that the Maat Foundation for Peace and Development can provide educational aid for their children from paying expenses to providing clothes for students to providing reinforcement classes for them. In addition to the possibility of teaching children handicrafts in summer periods, and providing mothers with sewing skills and small project management methods so that they can overcome these obstacles. The trainers mentioned many examples of youth and students who work alongside the studies.
The most evident problems highlighted by the mothers is the children aggression and introversion, the painting and coloring session was one of the team interventions to let out the children negative power along with providing them with spaces to express themselves authentically. Individual sessions with the mothers were conducted to guide them concerning new communication tools including how to encourage their children and boost their self-esteem. The green spacious park encouraged the interaction between the families members. In the end, Maat Foundation calls the community segments to adopt the prisoners and detainees issue, along with the necessity to work together to integrate them in the community and support them to become active and productive community members.
The day also included a number of individual counseling sessions for some families presented by the social and psychological specialist during the day, the desire of families to speak and discuss ways of solutions to their problems.
In conclusion, Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human Rights invites all segments of society to adopt the cause of the children of prisoners and detainees and try to jointly work between us to integrate this group into society and bring it back to the family of a productive and productive actor.