In the Al-Zawayda area, children gather at an art studio to participate in psychological support sessions that incorporate animal-assisted therapy, aiming to alleviate the effects of war and the psychological distress they endure.
These sessions include interactive activities with various animals such as rabbits, dogs, hedgehogs, and birds. Children engage in playing, touching, and learning about these creatures, which helps create an atmosphere of calm and emotional comfort.
The initiative was launched after rescuing a large number of abandoned pets left on the streets during the war. These animals were treated and cared for, then integrated into psychological support programs for children amid the challenging humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.
These activities demonstrate the role of animal interaction in reducing stress and fear, enhancing feelings of safety and joy among children, while also fostering empathy and introducing them to the animal world and its characteristics.
Furthermore, this initiative helps children overcome their fear of animals and gain new knowledge through direct experience in an interactive environment that combines learning and play.
This comes at a time when children in the Gaza Strip are suffering from escalating psychological repercussions due to the ongoing war, making such initiatives a rare outlet that eases the burden of daily reality.