Capoeira4Refugees

About us

Helping children in war zones through the power of sport, music & play.

The fall out of the Arab spring, increasing instability, the volatile context of war and the situation of a growing lost generation of youth refugees, calls for creative ways to rebuild and work with fractured communities in the Middle East. Capoeira4Refugees works in hostile environments, from outright warzones in Syria, to the occupied territories of Palestine to the refugee camps in Jordan. Each of these contexts has a shared experience of conflict and trauma.

In these conflict-affected communities, children and youth are particularly vulnerable to marginalization, violence and feelings of hopelessness. Many exhibit behaviours associated with extreme stress, including anxiety, withdrawal, violent ‘acting out’ and anti-social actions. C4R uses the unique sport of capoeira, combining the power of sport, music, and play as a psychosocial tool to help these desperately vulnerable young people, in particular child refugees, traumatized by war, conflict and displacement.

Capoeira uniquely combines live instruments and vocals with physical activity in a non-contact, non-competitive way. There can be no winner and there can be no loser. This makes social capoeira especially relevant to children suffering from trauma. The music and play of capoeira is accessible to girls as well as boys, teaching them the principles of physical literacy within a context of self-discipline and respect and understanding of others.

Capoeira’s combination of live music and sport helps our students develop coping mechanisms, reducing stress and providing a safe space to build resilience. Social capoeira is also a means of strengthening social skills, cohesion and confidence levels among students.

Starting in 2007 on the streets of Damascus, C4R today offers free capoeira classes in refugee camps as well as in communities in Jordan, Palestine and Syria. Our project gives thousands of refugee children a unique chance to play in safe spaces, express themselves freely and enjoy their childhood. Let's break the cycles of violence and isolation that refugee kids face - together!

Curious? Take a look here:
http://www.capoeira4refugees.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VzXx6Ltu_M
@C4Refugees
Tweets from #Refugees #Syria #Palestine #Jordan

This organisation cooperates with the Maecenata Foundation:
https://www.betterplace.org/c/help/what-is-maecenata/