The project in summary

Artistic activities and Healthcare Clowning interventions on the Island of Lesbos for different populations on the move.

The project in detail

In 2023, RED NOSES Clowndoctors International (RNI) strengthened its presence on the Island of Lesbos by conducting, in collaboration with nine humanitarian organizations intervening in favor of different populations on the move, a 3-month Emergency Smile Mission.

The project aimed to:

  • give children and their families the possibility to bring out their traumas and express their feelings in a playful manner, to help them reconnect to positive feelings and regain reliance and hope;
  • transfer the Skills of Healthcare Clowning to the local Staff members and volunteers of humanitarian organizations operating on the field to increase their psychosocial wellbeing and help them reduce the stress they experience in their everyday professional lives;
  • identify, disseminate, and replicate the Best Practices of Healthcare Clowning in other emergency contexts and transfer them to other stakeholders who intervene on the ground.
  • 374 minors and youth on the move (0-18 ages);
  • 158 UASC (0-13 ages);
  • 709 Single Men (25+);
  • 976 adults, of which 349 caregivers.

The mission, developed on the Island of Lesbos in different spaces and care & support centers for the people on the move, foresaw, also with Alta Mane support, the following activities:

  • One-week Pre-mission Training during which 9 clown-doctors and 3 Heads of Mission have been trained for the mission;
  • Mission on the field during which 68 artistic and Healthcare clowning activities have been organized, intended to minors, youth on the move, UASC, and Single Men, and 3 Humour Relief Workshops intended to 40 humanitarian aid-workers, caregivers, staff, and volunteers of the three organizations operating on the field;
  • One-day Debriefing during which the clown-doctors had the opportunity to process and reflect on lived experiences, discuss critical issues encountered during the mission, evaluate the interventions, and share the Lessons Learnt;
  • Monitoring & Evaluation Process to assess the impact, effectiveness, sustainability, and replicability of the Program.