How Franciscans in Syria are helping kids heal from war trauma
As a wartime missionary priest in Aleppo, Fr. Firas Lufti witnessed the trauma endured by a generation of Syrian children who have spent the entirety of their lives in the uncertainty and tragedy of war.
The Franciscan sought to create a place of safety and healing for these kids, many of whom were suffering from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.
“We observed that the children, the Aleppian children, had many trauma, post-war. Lots of them lost parents, some of them had mutilation, losing hands or legs, and they are afraid of everything,” the priest said.
Lufti founded the Franciscan Care Center’s post-traumatic war treatment program in Aleppo in 2017. Since then, its staff of clinical psychologists, volunteers, and social workers have served 1,500 Syrian children aged 6-17 years old.
In addition to psychological treatment, the center provides art therapy and recreational activities with painting, sculpture, music, theater, dance, basketball, and swimming. It also has a training course for parents focused on how to best care for and support their child’s mental health during treatment.
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