Little Hearts
Focus: Emergency relief and trauma support
Who: 5,969 children directly, 18,156 reached
Where: Gaza Strip and West Bank, Palestine
When: Winter 2024
Partner: Tamer Institute for Community Education
Supported by the Danish Emergency Relief Fund/CISU
When winter arrives in Gaza’s tent cities, displaced children face the cold with nothing but what they could carry when they fled their homes. Over 1.7 million Palestinians have been displaced, with thousands of families now living in makeshift shelters without proper heating or protection from harsh weather. Working alongside Tamer Institute for Community Education, we provide urgent winter relief and trauma support to Palestinian children surviving unimaginable circumstances.
Since October 2023, tens of thousands have been killed in Gaza, including thousands of children, while almost all school buildings have been damaged or destroyed, remaining classrooms now turned into emergency shelters. Those who had warm clothes and toys now have only what they carried while fleeing bombardment. In the West Bank, hundreds of Palestinians including dozens of children have been killed, with communities facing ongoing violence and infrastructure destruction.
It felt like Eid. I got to pick a pink jacket and pajamas – my favorite color.
— Lina, age 8
This emergency response addresses both immediate survival needs and the psychological trauma that comes with displacement, loss, and living through violence. Winter clothing keeps children warm, while recreational kits and trauma-informed activities help them process their experiences and maintain their sense of childhood even in crisis.
What we do together
Working with Tamer Institute’s network of community organizations and emergency shelter coordinators, we deliver comprehensive support that addresses both physical and emotional needs. The partnership leverages Tamer’s deep community connections and warehouses across Gaza to ensure aid reaches children in the most vulnerable situations.
We distribute winterization coupons enabling families to obtain essential winter items – jackets, warm shoes, and blankets – through local suppliers, addressing urgent survival needs while supporting local economy. The project also provides recreational kits containing school bags, toys, art supplies, and carefully selected books, giving children tools for creative expression during displacement.
I really love drawing, and it’s been a long time since I last drew. My favourite activity was when you told us: ‘Draw yourselves the way you want to be.’ All my friends drew themselves differently, but I drew myself the way I am – because I love myself.
— Yazan, age 10
Through community locations across Gaza and the West Bank, trained facilitators conduct psychosocial support activities using expressive arts to help children process their experiences. These sessions provide safe spaces for emotional healing while maintaining cultural connections, complementing the essential winter relief that keeps children physically protected through the harsh months.
Project activities
- Winterization coupons for 1,500 vulnerable children in Gaza providing winter clothing and blankets
- Recreational and psychosocial support kits for 1,500 children in Gaza and West Bank
- Trauma-informed creative workshops across 21 locations reaching 1,680 children
- Structured psychosocial support activities addressing mental health through art and storytelling
Community-driven crisis response
This emergency intervention is implemented by Tamer Institute’s local staff who understand their communities’ needs and can navigate the complex realities of providing aid during active conflict. Tamer Institute leads all distribution and programming, applying their decades of experience working with Palestinian children and families in crisis.
Local facilitators and community coordinators identify the most vulnerable families while ensuring that aid reaches children with disabilities and other particularly at-risk groups, recognizing that crisis disproportionately affects those who were already marginalized.
We’re displaced in this place and don’t usually get to play. I really liked the activities happening here. What I loved the most was that I became friends with my classmate Nadine. Since that day, she’s become my best friend.
— Sama, age 10
Through community locations across Gaza and the West Bank, trained facilitators conduct psychosocial support activities using expressive arts to help children process their experiences. These sessions provide safe spaces for emotional healing while maintaining cultural connections, complementing the essential winter relief that keeps children physically protected through the harsh months.
People-to-people solidarity
Help us continue providing life-saving support to Palestinian children in displacement camps and emergency shelters. Join the 1000 for Palestine and support emergency interventions that address immediate needs while preserving children’s dignity, creativity, and hope for the future.