Finding Friendship, Finding Hope
For nine-year-old Gor, displacement had become a way of life.
Forced to flee his home twice in three years due to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, Gor's world was marked by instability and loss. First uprooted in 2020 and again in 2023, his journey took him from Ishxanadzor to Patara and finally to Kapan, each move stripping away what had become familiar.
It wasn't until he joined a child-friendly space organized by World Vision Armenia that Gor began to heal and rediscover a sense of belonging. The trauma of displacement can manifest in children as fear, sadness, and a sense of isolation. Gor's story is no exception -- and by the time he had reached Kapan, he had become withdrawn and depressed, reluctant to attend school or engage with his new surroundings. Despite his family's determination to rebuild their lives, the emotional toll of Gor's experiences left him struggling to adapt.
Child-friendly spaces are uniquely designed to meet children's emotional and social needs in emergencies, offering a haven in times of chaos. These structured environments provide safety, stability, and activities tailored to foster emotional well-being and social connection. For Gor, the child-friendly space marked a turning point, reuniting him with Artyom, a classmate and friend who had also been displaced from Patara village. Although the children attend different schools in Kapan, they look forward to their club's days at the child-friendly space, cherishing the time they can spend together.
"I find solace and healing when we find each other's company," says Gor.
With the support of the Government of Canada through the Humanitarian Coalition, World Vision Canada provided Gor and children like him with a safe space to play, make friends -- or reconnect with an old one -- offering activities and guidance to support their emotional recovery from the violence of conflict and displacement. Facilitated by trained psychologists, the program used play, creativity, and self-expression as therapeutic tools to help children heal. Group sessions encouraged children to share their thoughts and feelings, fostering empathy and mutual support. For Gor, these sessions helped him process his experiences and gradually work through the sadness that had overcome him since fleeing home.
Child-friendly spaces help children like Gor rebuild their lives and look toward the future with hope by fostering connections and providing a sense of community. They are not just places of refuge but centers of transformation, where children rediscover their strength, renew their joy and embark on a path to healing.