Young IDPs Share their Story on Youth Day

As part of Blumont’s International Youth Day events in Laylan 1 camp in Kirkuk, Iraq, a group of young people performed a silent play to share the effects of displacement.

CCCM/C2RB/C2MQ Youth Day skit in Laylan 1 Camp in Kirkuk, Iraq

Each actor had a paper taped to their chest describing their role in the skit. The boy in the center of the group represents a teenager who has fled from his home. Around him, the actors represent different parts of the his life, such as sports, school, love, friends, and the future.

Throughout the skit, the teenager tries to enjoy his hobbies and interests, but realizes he has lost them because of his displacement. At the end of the skit, he falls to his knees in front of “the future,” waiting to see what becomes of his life.

“When there’s a place to show my skills, I feel at home even if it’s for a moment,” one young woman said.

Another actor said, “This kind of activity encourages me to develop my skills. Now, I believe in myself to perform a play anywhere.”

This play is a powerful representation of the uncertainty many young people face regarding their future as they struggle to regain what they have lost due to forced displacement. Blumont’s programming in Iraq’s Laylan 1 and 2 camps, in collaboration with UNHCR, helps youth reclaim their futures and navigate the harsh realities of displacement.

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Blumont’s Camp Management, Mobile CCCM, and Quick Impact Projects (C2MQ) Program, funded by UNHCR, provides safe and dignified living conditions in 10 IDP camps across Kirkuk, Baghdad, Salah Al-Din, and Anbar. Across the camps, Blumont facilitates shelter, protection, youth activities, training for camp representatives and staff, and health awareness campaigns, benefitting more than 9,200 people.