what is a safe space?
A place where children can remember how to laugh, play and be themselves.
Safe spaces, or Child-friendly spaces are protected areas set up by our staff, together with members of the local community.
Hala*, 7, plays at the pop-up Child Friendly Space, Beirut, Lebanon
'We tend to talk about ‘refugees’ or ‘traumatised children’ in plural
But the fact is that there’s an individual child behind every refugee and every trauma. Each with his or her own name, face, character, dreams, wishes, sorrow, memories and loved ones.
The goal of the safe spaces that Save the Children is running is to bring back the individual child.'
Sabina Copinga, blogs from Zaatari camp on the Syrian border in Jordan
SEE THEM FOR YOURSELF
PLAY IS SO IMPORTANT
At Safe Spaces all around the world, children get the chance to be kids again - and it's amazing to see.
When I grow up I want to work at the Child Friendly Space and be a staff person. I want to help other children. I want to help children get better, like me, I have become educated and happier. The Child Friendly Space is my favourite place to be.
- Aleisha, 13, Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh
LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT SAFE SPACES MEAN TO KIDS
Fatima*, Tomal*, Hasima* and Aleisha* attend a safe space in Bangladesh. They tell us a bit about what they've learnt and why they enjoy going there to play.
FINDING THEMSELVES
Through the child-friendly spaces, our staff and volunteers offer children support as they do the ‘work’ to find themselves again.
‘It’s a gift to become someone special to the children. To teach them how valuable they are’
Dalgis Alandete, tutor at a safe space in Venesuela
'Children start to laugh again, simply because something funny happens.'
Sabine Copinga, communications adviser, Zaatari camp safe space, Jordan
Leila attends a safe space in a displacement camp in Balkh province, Afghanistan
