Having worked in child safeguarding, I have been greatly impacted by the importance of psychological support for children who have experienced trauma. Without mental health support, children and then adults, will struggle to lead happy, healthy lives.

Working in safeguarding also taught me the importance of having well trained children's workers. Many of the teachers and NGO workers in the Middle East and North Africa have themselves experienced trauma, which is why it is vitally important that we provide them with trauma training. They need to have the tools to support themselves before they support children.

Middle East Media wants to train up a further 113 teachers and NGO workers, which is why on the five days leading up to World Refugee Day (June 20th) I will be cycling 113 miles for MEM's Life in the Desert - Training of Teachers project.

Donations of all sizes welcome. 

Thank you for sponsoring me. 

With the help from a child psychologist, MEM have created Life in the Desert, a 3D animation series to support traumatised children living in refugee camps and vulnerable communities across the Middle East and North Africa. The series is accompanied by a curriculum with guiding questions, exercises, and homework for the children. 

Part of this project is to support and train school teachers and NGO workers in this curriculum and in trauma relief. Many of these teachers and NGO workers have themselves experienced trauma which is why it is vital we equip them with the necessary support and tools to go on and support vulnerable children.  

In the last two years MEM have trained 227 teachers and NGO workers in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. They have since used the Life in the Desert programme to support 4,209 children which averages out as 18.5 children per teacher – an incredible achievement!  

Over the next 12 months MEM plans to train a further 113 teachers and NGO workers across the region.  At the moment they do not have all needed finances to be able to achieve that. On June 20th we want to change that. 

Please join me in bringing lasting change to children's lives across the region.