Home | SOS Children’s Villages Strive to Prevent Child Abandonment »

Preventing Child Abandonment through Family Strengthening

June 28, 2007

Samah is one of many local mothers that have built a strong relationship with the SOS Children’s Village in Gaza. As one of the first graduates of the Gaza Social Center family strengthening program, Samah has since founded her own home-based sewing company and been able to provide protection and shelter for her two children. However, prior to the family strengthening program, Samah faced unimaginable hardships that jeopardized her own safety, as well as her children’s.

By the time Samah was 16, she was married into a physically abusive relationship, which eventually produced two children. Her husband would often beat her and their children on a regular basis. Samah took the first step in ensuring her family’s safety by getting a divorce, but divorce would ultimately leave her with little opportunity under the social conditions and customs of Gaza.

Although her family and community shunned her for being a divorcee, Samah was reluctantly able to move back into her father’s house, but only to find the same problems. Shortly after the move-in, her father began to beat her and her children and encourage Samah to abandon her children so that she could re-marry. “I used to be beaten in front of my children by my father and brothers. They wanted me to give my children away to an institution and remarry because my father said we were a burden to him,” Samah remembers, “But I said I will not leave my children.” Even Samah’s kindest family members would only house her if she agreed to abandon her children, but she refused.

It was around this time that the SOS Children’s Village Social Center launched its family strengthening program. Samah was an eligible candidate, and began receiving financial assistance through the program to fulfill basic needs such as school for her children and medical care. The counseling, therapy, health awareness sessions, and classes of the Social Center helped Samah transform her life. Therapy sessions allowed Samah to finally stand up to her father, and move out of the house. She attended a basic sewing class, which progressed into the opening of her home run business and a reasonable income. The SC classes taught Samah about womens rights and childrens rights, and gave her access to a lawyer.

SOS Children’s Villages Social Center family strengthening program gave Samah a new self confidence, but most importantly, made her feel like a capable mother. Although not yet financially independent through her own work, Samah is optimistic about her future. “I visualize my future life more stable and independent. The prospect of being able to keep my children under my protection especially once I will be financially independent keeps me working hard,” she concludes.

Topics: Middle East, Child Abandonment, Case Study |