Child Protection case worker Rezan on how our project has changed her

Based at Gawilan camp, Rezan is a case worker who is part of our Child Protection project with UNHCR.

In her role, she handles all kinds of situations involving vulnerable children and families on a range of issues relating to their psychological wellbeing, protection and safety.

Rezan is a former graduate of Business Administration from Bardarash Technical Institute, and has been with our team for almost a year.

Speaking of the most rewarding aspects of her job, she says: “It’s when I can make a change in a child’s life for the better, whether we serve them by ourselves or connect them to the required services.”

But Rezan and the whole Child Protection team inevitably face many tough scenarios in their work, and recalling one particular case, she adds: “I had one child marriage case, where the individual had many concerns – including serious mental health issues, problems with integration, legal documentation and lack of permanent shelter.”

Rezan worked with the relevant mental health services, camp management and UNHCR to provide the young girl with shelter, as well as arranging a lawyer who could help her with her legal needs. Additionally, she referred her to youth resilience and awareness sessions within our programme, and she was able to monitor her progress until she became mentally stable and happier.

Rezan believes she has grown personally through her work, adding: “Being a case worker has changed me a lot. I feel I have a stronger personality now. In the beginning it was difficult for me, but with time I improved my self-confidence, and learned new techniques like meditation, art, and eating more healthily.”

She also values the support of the Lotus team, saying: “Everyone is very cooperative, including senior management and my other colleagues. This is a very beautiful thing.”

As an NGO, we always strive to ensure our team can grow and progress through regular training and capacity-building, and Rezan says: "I gained a lot of experience here, which has helped my personal development. I worked with other NGOs before, and we would have only two or three training sessions in a period of two years, but with The Lotus Flower, the work environment is very different. Now I can depend more on myself.”

Now in its second year, our Child Protection project offers psychosocial support to at-risk children and their parents or caregivers, with activities including art therapy, music and sport, as well as stress and anxiety management, healing strategies and a focus on building positive relationships.

The case management element of the programme ensures at-risk children receive access to services such as emergency cash and medical treatment. In addition, the project includes capacity-building training on Child Protection measures for government staff and other community organisations and partners.