Children, Poetry and Refugees

Starting to write is a bit of a challenge for children. Even children who live in cities with all the ease of getting references still have difficulty writing, especially those who live far from the city. For that, we started by giving the children each a picture without text so that it would be easier for them to explore ideas.

From the picture they are asked to think of one word that comes to their mind. Then, they have to add one more word that matches the first word. Some of them are still confused in finding words and writing them down. We have to be more patient in leading them to be able to find and find the right words and form sentences afterwards.

Happily, they don't give up quickly. They ask questions and then start writing fluently. The children enjoyed the process, they exchanged ideas with their group members and corrected spelling mistakes made by their friends. That's what we hope for. In the end their simple poetry was finished.

They are proud of their work, we are even more proud. Moreover, after that some of them were asked to read their poetry in front of other children and their families in the evacuation. Without being awkward, they read their work. Simple indeed, but for them it is an extraordinary thing.

Writing poetry is a new thing they learned from us. We too, especially I have a very valuable experience. We hope that the children enjoy the process of writing poetry and will not stop writing after the session ends.

It doesn't seem like an exaggeration if I hope that one of them can become a young poet. Or even incised a more proud achievement.

Hopefully they will continue to be children with pleasant personalities who never give up even in difficult circumstances like now. Limited facilities and references due to disasters are not an obstacle to learning and achieving. Experience is a science that cannot be bought. Through writing, that knowledge will spread and be absorbed by others.