The project in summary

Artistic activities and online Healthcare Clowning interventions for minors on the move and Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASCs).

The project in detail

The online activation of the Emergency Smile Missions Program proved fundamental during the various lockdowns in BiH, imposed inside and outside the TRCs, to guarantee, although at distance, minors on the move a presence and an inclusive psychosocial support, based on their collective participation in playful and recreational activities aimed at improving their psycho-emotional and social wellbeing. Based on the excellent results obtained during the first online mission in BiH (March 20th– April 24th,  2021), RNI launched two other online missions in BiH and Mainland Greece (May 22nd– December 16th, 2021), for a total of 28 sessions, in collaboration with Save the Children North West Balkans, Wave of Hope and Omnes organization. The two missions aimed to:

  • Give children the opportunity to process their traumas and express their feelings in a playful manner, to help them reconnect to positive feelings and regain reliance and hope;
  • Create safe and protected spaces (Supportive Environment) where minors can regain their right to childhood, and with a smile, the joy of living, and the hope of a better future;
  • Transfer new strategies of Self and Collective Care, based on Humour, to local aid-workers to improve their psychosocial wellbeing, help them reduce the stress they experience in their everyday professional lives, interact and communicate in an empathic and synergic way with the minors on the move and UASCs.

BiH

  • 147 minors on the move (6-12 ages);
  • 42 UASCs (13-18 ages);
  • 12 Children-Safe Space Staff Members (22-35 ages).

Mainland Greece

  • 125 minors on the move (6-12 ages);
  • 11 aid-workers and teachers.

Each of the Two Online Missions foresaw, also with Alta Mane support, the following activities:

  • Pre-Mission Meeting (30 minutes): online mission preparatory meeting between the Clowndoctors and the local operators in charge of managing the Child-Friendly Spaces activities, during which the Clowndoctors presented the Healthcare Clowning activities organized during the mission, adapted to the age groups and specific needs (in emotional terms) of the participants;
  • 1 Online Mission (45-90 minutes) for minors on the move;
  • 1 Online Mission (45-90 minutes) for UASC;
  • Debriefing Session (30 minutes): final meeting between the Clowndoctors during which the Lessons Learnt were shared, the strengths/weakness of the interventions evaluated and the contents and the implementation modalities for the next missions modified accordingly.