Joy cannot wait: circus school in refugee camps | Laura Vanhanen | TEDxOtaniemi

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

People's lives don’t stop in refugee camps. The need to learn, play and hope is just as important, if not more so, in camps than anywhere else. So, how can you support these needs?

Laura tells the story of a circus school, which was opened by young Syrian talents, Sirkus Magenta and FCA @FCA_global in Za'atri, Jordan. With her experience in Finnish education sector development and learning solutions, Laura is working with projects strengthening access to quality education in fragile contexts: refugee situations and developing countries.

"This makes me feel skilled and useful

instead of making me feel useless."

I'm sharing a quote from a refugee
who found back her confidence,

and I'd like to share with you
what makes her say that.

Refugee situations all over the globe

are growing in number,
size, and permanence.

Being out of school is often the reality

for those who've been forced
to leave their homes,

who are on the move.

Crises and conflicts
make a major barrier for learning.

The right to learn
is most at risk during emergencies,

and that's exactly
when it's needed the most.

When a disaster hits,

let's say a human-caused conflict
or a natural catastrophe,

the relief efforts are very quick
at providing and mobilizing

sanitation, nutrition, shelter, food,

clean drinking water, health care.

But what about learning?
What about education?

How about recreational activities?

Can those wait for better times?

When you ask kids and teenagers
who're living in crisis and conflicts,

one of their biggest hopes
is to go to school.

When you miss school,

you're in the danger
of psychosocial trauma

you're in the danger
of psychosocial damage,

being trafficked,

being forced to work in armed groups,

or getting married early;

and if worse, losing hope.

Providing access to education in crisis

is not a political priority.

Education funding gets less than 2%

of all humanitarian funding.

However, there's a growing recognition

that we need to fix this.

We have to fix this.

And at the same time,

we're starting to understand
the value of playful and joyful learning.

When Mohammad first came to the camp,

he thought he'd be
just staying for a few days.

Over three years later,

he's still living in what's known
as the biggest refugee camp

in the Middle East: Za'atri.

But he's found hope

thanks to an unexpected source of joy:

the circus school.

A group of professionals from Finland
opened the school

around the same time
when Mohammad arrived at the camp.

He joined the classes

and quickly wanted
to become a trainer himself.

In the early days,

the school was not so well accepted.

Some said, "What a waste of time."

But a lot has changed.

Now people living in the camp
have taken ownership of the trainings,

and their dream is
one day to return back home

and establish the first
national circus of Syria.

While Mohammad's students in his classes
are passionately learning

new techniques, movements, tricks,

they also take away much more than that.

It's a model for spreading joy,
confidence, and smiles.

For some, it's the first laugh
since they've left Syria.

One of the elders
in the community said it well,

"Food and shelter will keep you alive,

but won't give you the power
to fight for your life."

So, laughter is a serious business.

Acrobatics, funny tricks, and games

let you enter the world

that's outside of the everyday challenges.

These young boys are not at risk
of being socially excluded.

They are excluded.

Some of them feel
that the world has betrayed them.

However, at the same time,

their goal is that this team will one day
be famous for its international shows.

What's even better,

the girls and young women
are extremely active.

For cultural reasons,
the boys and girls train separately.

When training, you get to meet friends,

you get to make lots of new friends,

you get to jump, tumble, joke around.

The girls are learning
never to underestimate their abilities.

That's a good boost of self-confidence.

Many mothers are very supportive.

One of the mothers said,

"For my daughter, a psychologist
might not have had the same effect,

but the school has."

Fatima, one of the female trainers
on the left, says,

"There's much more joy to life now."

The school has given jobs
to those who otherwise wouldn't have any.

It's a remarkable thing to have a job,

to be employed in a refugee camp.

The girls make wonderful idols
for the younger ones,

and they faced a few difficulties

convincing the more conservative
members of the community

that it's OK for girls
to do backflips and make headstands.

When the camp opened, there were tensions

with masses of young men
coming out of the war.

It can be unstable.

It's a simple issue of boredom.

When you don't have anything to do,
you have all this unused energy.

Activities, like the circus,

are good at redirecting
that excess energy.

These young people have been through war,

suffering trauma or post-traumatic stress.

Many have lost their family.

But they're learning to trust again

because trust is needed
in the crowded camp.

From the outside,

this looks like any of the other tents,

but this particular tent brings hope
to those who are waiting to go home.

And what's new?

Recently, the circus school
got bigger and better facilities

with air conditioning and higher ceilings,

so now you can make higher tricks
and train for longer hours.

Making this happen
doesn't require a lot of investments,

But it's an effective way to build
a more sustainable tomorrow.

Yes, we know;

when there's crisis or during emergencies,

it's vital to take care
of the basic needs,

But the circus school also shows us

that opportunities to play are needed.

In other words, joy cannot wait.

(Applause)