It is called "Our protected house", in Arabic "Darna al Aman", the project with which Un Ponte Per, thanks to the precious support of the Otto per Mille funds of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai, was able to open and sustain over time three Safe Spaces in Raqqa, destined to women, girls, and children living among the rubble of a city harshly hit by years of conflict. Thanks to the collaboration with the local partner, Doz, Un Ponte Per is able to guarantee protection to children, women and girls who still have to deal with a present characterised by war and displacement.

Un Ponte Per's Safe Spaces in Syria were opened in 2021. Since then, they have been providing support, advocacy and prevention to counter child and gender-based violence every day.

In 2023 alone, they welcomed and supported almost 3,300 people including women, adolescents, children.

"These are Spaces that welcome children, women and girls, organised according to their specific needs," Ambra Malandrin, project manager, tells us."In each of these Spaces, individual and group activities take place, individual support and child protection is provided for the prevention of gender-based violence, early marriages, and the exploitation of child labour. And to provide women with support".

Thereare many activities and they are organised according to the needs identified by the local partners. In the one dedicated to children, sometimes it is enough just to play.

"The activities in the Space are play, sports, music. They are aimed at children who have lost everything due to war and displacement, and who therefore have no right to a normal childhood. Even being free to play then becomes a means of emancipation,' Ambra explains. "We then try to accompany them on a path that makes them aware of their rights and the dangers they face."

In fact, in Raqqa there are no places dedicated to children, and it is not uncommon to see children playing among the rubble, or among the skeletons of destroyed buildings, with the risk that they might run into unexploded ordnance. "One of the most important achievements we have seen is that they have a place to play safely. They often tell us that they feel comfortable in space because they can dress up, say, do what they want. We have to keep in mind that about 60 per cent of them do not go to school, so having educational sessions and regularity in their daily lives is a great support, which helps them to grow and develop their skills," Ambra emphasises. "When and if the specialised staff working in the Space encounter more serious individual problems, or safety issues, they can take immediate action and support the children individually, also involving the families," she explains. One of the aims of the work is to combat violence and exploitative child labour.

As for the space dedicated to women and girls, here too there are many activities created 'to get to know each other, create bonds and relationships, make them aware of their rights. We try to rebuild that social network that the conflict has destroyed, and to overcome the difficulties that women still have in moving around and inhabiting public space,' Ambra explains. "Before we started our intervention, we knew that only 7 per cent of women had access to gender-based violence protection services in Raqqa. And even though the war now seems far away, its effects are still a daily reality for them. Being able to access these spaces becomes central, a first step on the path to regaining their autonomy, freedom, emancipation,' Ambra says.

Recently, thanks to the support of the Italian Buddhist Institute Soka Gakkai, we started working on another important step: 'A safe transport service to and from the Spaces, identifying the areas in and around Raqqa that are most disadvantaged from this point of view. Today we are able to reach the areas from where the women and the children who attend our Spaces arrive, and accompany them safely on their way to and from home. This is very important," he emphasises. "In addition, we also use the transport service to accompany them to play football for example. We identify a suitable place, free of danger, and accompany them so that they can use it safely. This service is also dedicated to women: the aim is for them to feel free and safe not only inside the space, but also on the way there," Ambra concludes.

Combating gender-based violence in all its forms remains the central objective of Un Ponte Per's intervention in north-eastern Syria, where years of conflict have left children and women particularly exposed to risks, discrimination and difficulties of all kinds. Accompanying them in their journey to regain their right to life, to safety, free from gender-based violence remains the first step to take to build a fairer future for all.