Connect Children Now

26/04/2026

بعد أربعة أسابيع من العمل والتدريب، اختُتم برنامج تدريب المدرّبين "Incredible Me" الذي نظّمته Beirut Community Centre بالتعاون مع Connect Children Now وWorld Student Christian Federation، وبمشاركة عدد من الحركات الشبابية.

امتدّ البرنامج على أربع جلسات تدريبية تفاعلية، هدفها تمكين الشباب وتنمية مهاراتهم القيادية وتعزيز دورهم في إحداث تغيير إيجابي في المجتمع.

ركّز التدريب على إعداد مرشدين قادرين على الدعم النفسي الاجتماعي للأطفال النازحين، من خلال خلق مساحات آمنة تساعدهم على التعبير عن أنفسهم والتخفيف من الضغوط النفسية، إلى جانب تمكين المشاركين من التفاعل السليم معهم وتقديم الدعم النفسي والاجتماعي المناسب.

واختُتمت التجربة بأجواء مليئة بالفرح، حيث عبّر المشاركون عن استفادتهم الكبيرة واكتسابهم مهارات عملية تمكّنهم من مرافقة الأطفال النازحين بوعي ومسؤولية. يتبعها توزيع شهادات مشاركة.

#لبنان

After four weeks of dedicated work and training, the “Incredible Me” Training of Trainers program, organized by Beirut Community Centre in collaboration with Connect Children Now and the World Student Christian Federation, and with the participation of several youth movements, has successfully concluded.

The program consisted of four interactive training sessions aimed at empowering youth, developing their leadership skills, and strengthening their role in driving positive change within their communities.

The training focused on preparing facilitators capable of providing psychosocial support to displaced children by creating safe spaces where they can express themselves and relieve psychological stress. It also equipped participants with the skills needed to engage with children in a healthy and supportive manner, and to deliver appropriate psychosocial care.

The program concluded in a joyful atmosphere, with participants expressing how much they benefited from the experience and the practical skills they gained, enabling them to support displaced children with awareness and responsibility. Certificates of participation will follow.

17/04/2026

must be fiercely protected in times of war; they deserve not only safety and , but the fundamental right to grow, dream, and thrive in a nurturing , away from , destruction, and violence.

15/04/2026

Her Voice Beneath the Bombing: Women Displaced, Yet Unbroken

Not only children suffer in war.

More than 620,000 women have been forced to flee once again ,leaving behind their homes, their memories, their sense of safety… everything.

For many, the choice was unbearable:
Run under falling bombs… or stay and risk death.

Today, countless women are living in overcrowded shelters where dignity feels like a luxury. Entire families share single rooms and classrooms. No privacy. No rest. No true sense of safety.
Sanitation is poor. Conditions are harsh. Fear is constant.

And yet they endure.

Amid this reality, we created a small space of relief: a psychosocial support session and Women’s Circle a place where displaced women could breathe again… speak freely… and let their pain be heard.

They shared stories of fear, loss, and exhaustion.
But they also shared something stronger: resilience.
A quiet, unshakable belief that this darkness will not last forever.

A powerful moment came when the Mayor of the town, joined the session not to speak, but to listen. To stand beside these women and affirm that their voices matter, and that action will follow.

For many women, this was the first moment in days they felt seen.
The first moment they felt heard.

And sometimes, in the midst of war…
being heard is where healing begins.

Because even beneath the sound of bombs their voices rise.
And they are unbroken.

04/04/2026

For the second time in just two years, children are being forced to relive some of the darkest days of their lives.

In moments like these, joy is not a luxury it’s a necessity.

Through a special theatrical performance, director and stage actor Charbel Bahri created a space where children could laugh, play, and simply be children again even if only for a little while.

Across the shelters where our teams are present, their laughter filled the space, and their smiles said everything words cannot a powerful reminder that even in the hardest times, children still deserve joy, comfort, and hope.

Every smile restored is an act of resilience. Every moment of joy is a step toward healing.

Help us continue creating moments like these.

01/04/2026

When Childhood Carries the Weight of War

What does fear look like through a child’s eyes?

Sometimes… it looks like a drawing of a bleeding heart.

From the very first day of displacement, CCN/DCI was on the ground reaching collective shelters across 16 locations in Mount Lebanon, Beirut, and the North because when children carry trauma, waiting is not an option.

Through our “Incredible Me” programme, our mental health specialists created safe spaces where children could begin to breathe again… to feel again… to slowly come back to themselves.

But the reality they face is heartbreaking.

Children forced into overcrowded rooms with strangers.No school. No privacy. No space to play.No time to heal from past wars before a new one begins.

Some children couldn’t speak at all. Others withdrew completely. And some told their stories through drawings too painful for words.

One child drew a heart bleeding to show the pain of losing loved ones.

This is the weight our children are carrying.

And yet, even in the midst of fear, something powerful happens when they are given care, patience, and a safe space to express themselves. Slowly, their walls begin to soften. Their voices return. Their pain, though still present, becomes shared and therefore lighter.

Because no child should have to carry this alone.

We remain committed every single day to helping children find calm in chaos, healing in heartbreak, and hope in the middle of uncertainty.

As one child said, in words that echo far beyond the shelter walls:“Nothing is more precious than peace.”

31/03/2026

Ensuring Continuity of Education for Displaced Children in Shelter Centres

In the midst of uncertainty, education remains more than a priority, it is a lifeline.

From the very first moments of displacement, CCN/DCI stood ready to respond. Our teams moved quickly to reach shelters hosting children and their families, determined to create spaces where learning could continue despite fear, disruption, and trauma.

Within our centres, children found more than classrooms they found stability. Through daily learning routines and safe, structured environments, they were given something deeply essential: a sense of normalcy. A reminder that their future is still theirs.

But not every child has been afforded the same chance.

In many shelters, the reality is stark. No desks. No materials. No proper learning spaces. Children sit on the ground, using cardboard as makeshift desks the same spaces where they eat, learn, and sleep, often overcrowded and under resourced.

And yet, even in these conditions, their desire to learn has not faded.

Neither has our commitment.

We continue to stand by every child, striving to ensure that education does not become another loss they must endure. Because education is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right, and a powerful step toward healing, dignity, and hope.

26/03/2026

12/03/2026

Children’s Voices Against War ,A Global Digital Exhibition

As part of an initiative led by the Child Rights Connect Children’s Advisory Team (CAT) for the Annual Day on the Rights of the Child at the United Nations Human Rights Council, children from around the world were invited to share creative messages expressing their experiences and hopes regarding children in armed conflict. Their voices are now featured in a permanent digital exhibition.

DCI / CCN Lebanon proudly supported the participation of children from the Regional Children’s Advisory Council, with five powerful contributions from Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt. Through drawings, poems, stories, and messages to decision-makers, these children courageously shared how war shapes their lives and futures.

Their voices come at a time when the world has witnessed the devastating tragedy in Gaza Strip, followed by the recent escalation in Lebanon, where civilians and children in particular continue to pay the highest price.

Today, DCI / CCN Lebanon calls on the international community to act urgently to stop violations against civilians and protect children from the devastating consequences of war.

Children are not targets. Their rights must be protected. Their voices must be heard.
Kindly find all all the submissions through the link below👇🏻

https://adrc26.childrightsconnect.org/

08/03/2026

Women’s Voices on International Women’s Day “Have Mercy on Our Children”

On International Women’s Day, while the world celebrates women’s strength, many women in Lebanon are speaking from shelters, displacement, and fear asking only one thing: protection for their children.

This is not the first time war has erupted in Lebanon. Every generation has carried its share of terror echoing with the sounds of fear and scenes of death and destruction.
Such recurring violence has driven women to raise their voices against attacks on unarmed civilians, crying out:
“If you do not wish to show mercy to us, then at least have mercy on our children.”

Alya, one of the displaced women who fled from the south to Beirut’s southern suburbs and later to a relatively safer town, shares her testimony:

“Our lives no longer seem to matter we have faced death too many times. But our greatest fear is for our children. If we are lucky, we wake them from their beds while they sleepbefore we are forced to pull them from beneath the rubble.”

Meanwhile, Lama, a volunteer at one of the shelter centers, explains:

“There is little difference between the tragedy we commemorate on International Women’s Day and the suffering we are witnessing today. In both cases, women endure immense pain if not through flames, then through the hardships and losses imposed upon them. Here, we do everything we can to ease their burden, just as volunteers are doing in shelters across safer areas.”

At , we urgently call on governments, international actors, and all parties involved in the conflict to take responsibility and work toward an immediate ceasefire. Continued violence is costing innocent lives and deepening the suffering of families.

Our children have a fundamental right to protection, safety, and a future free from fear and violence. It is the responsibility of those with the power to act now before more lives are lost.

No child should grow up learning the sound of bombs before the sound of peace.

16/02/2026

Grateful to BfdW Dialogue Office WANA for Climate Justice, Ferdinand Girke, Tayma' Abu Ayyash and Rami Abi Ammar, Program and Research Officer, Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) for the impactful training on Climate Change and Climate Justice in Lebanon.

The training reinforced the shared responsibility of individuals and organizations to advance both climate mitigation- reducing emissions and environmental harm and climate adaptation, by strengthening communities' ability to cope with climate impacts. Despite international commitments, including the Paris Agreement, the climate crisis continues to intensify.

Although Lebanon contributes minimally to global emissions, it remains highly vulnerable facing drought, declining rainfall, rising temperatures, and more frequent extreme weather events. Addressing this reality requires inclusive awareness and education, especially for children.

Educating younger generations on environmental protection, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture is a vital investment in a resilient future-for both people and planet.

26/01/2026

I’m honored to have participated in an inspiring conference in Greece, organized by Defence for Children International – Greece and Child Friendly Justice Uuropean Movement. Experts, policymakers, academics, and representatives of the Greek government came together to strengthen systems that put children’s rights, safety, and dignity at the heart of justice.

Above all, our discussions reminded me that love and the quality of relationships that systems build with children in contact with justice are central to trust, and trust is the foundation of genuine protection and justice. When children feel seen, heard, and cared for, justice becomes not only fair, but truly humane.

I leave Greece inspired by the rich exchanges, shared wisdom, and collective commitment to creating safer, more just futures for every child.

تشرفتُ بمشاركتي في المؤتمر المُلهم في اليونان، نظمته منظمة الحركة العالمية للدفاع عن الأطفال الدولية – فرع اليونان والحركة الأوروبية للعدالة الصديقة للطفل.

حضر المؤتمر خبراء وصنّاع سياسات وأكاديميين وممثلين عن الحكومة اليونانية، بهدف تعزيز الأنظمة التي تضع حقوق الأطفال وسلامتهم وكرامتهم في صميم العدالة.

لقد ذكّرَتْني نقاشاتُنا بأن المحبة وجودة العلاقات التي تبنيها الأنظمة مع الأطفال المتعاملين مع منظومة العدالة هي جوهر الثقة، والثقة هي الأساس الحقيقي للحماية والعدالة، فعندما يشعر الطفل بأنه مرئي، مسموعو ومحبوب، تصبح العدالة ليست فقط منصفة، بل إنسانية بحق.

أغادر اليونان وأنا مفعمة بالإلهام من غنى النقاشات، وتبادل الخبرات، والالتزام الجماعي بتأسيس مستقبل أكثر أماناً وعدلاً لكل طفل.