20 June 2024
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) has been supporting Palestinian refugees in Lebanon for 40 years. There are more than 250,000 Palestinian refugees there, many of whom were expelled from or fled their homes at the hands of militias during the creation of the state of Israel in 1947-8.
One of MAP’s long-standing partners working in the Palestinian refugee camps in northern Lebanon is the Community Based Rehabilitation Association (CBRA). CBRA provides multidisciplinary specialised services for children with disabilities in Nahr el Bared and Beddawi Palestinian refugee camps, and works to promote their inclusion and access to essential services.
On World Refugee Day, we spoke to Marwa* and her 10-year-old son Hasan*, who live in the Beddawi refugee camp, about the support they have received from CBRA.
“Ten years ago, I had my first baby, Hasan. I was very grateful for his presence in my life. And like every new mother, I was enjoying each moment of his babbling, crawling, and walking his first steps,” said Marwa. “At the age of three, I started to notice signs of unclear speech, my son could only make a few sounds or words repeatedly and struggled to communicate. At that time, I thought that this was fine for his age and that the issue will be resolved in the future.”
A few years later, Hasan was diagnosed with speech difficulties. But getting access to specialised services and support was beyond his family’s financial means. Marwa’s neighbours advised her to go to CBRA, as they are a well-known rehabilitation centre and have a team of specialists who can support her son. “At that time, I was not aware of the importance of early intervention. I was worried about what people would say if they saw my son entering the rehabilitation centre, and how this might affect my son’s wellbeing. I continued for years trying to convince myself that Hasan would get better with time, without any external intervention,” Marwa added.
Marwa’s denial continued until Hasan turned nine years old and decided to participate in the school’s Scout movement. The social worker there identified his speech difficulties and advised Marwa to refer Hasan to CBRA’s centre.
Since then, Hasan has been receiving specialised services, including speech and occupational therapy, and psychosocial support. According to Marwa, her son’s condition and behaviours have improved. “Thanks to CBRA’s support and follow up, Hasan, who always preferred to sit alone at home and watch the TV, started to ask me to go out and play with other children. Today, Hasan has developed new skills, his self-confidence has increased, and his academic performance in school has improved,” said Marwa. Marwa also benefitted from the project’s psychological support services, which helped her better support and understand Hasan’s feelings and needs.
“We went through very difficult times and Hasan faced bullying, stigma and neglect. I wish that I had taken this step earlier when Hasan was very young. Today, we both feel supported and valued in our community. I became aware of the importance of early intervention and our role as parents in breaking the stigma towards people with disabilities. I am now committed to spreading awareness in my community about the rights of people with disabilities, and promoting their inclusion and the importance of early intervention. I want to support them as much as I can,” Marwa said.
Marwa thanked MAP and CBRA’s team for supporting children with disabilities and their families during the ongoing economic crisis in Lebanon which is disproportionately impacting Palestinian refugees.
Please consider donating to this project and MAP’s other work supporting the rights of Palestinians with disabilities.
*Names have been changed to protect participants’ identities.
