The Çîyako Adventure Therapy Programme serves the Syrian Refugee Children in the Kurdish Region of Iraq. These refugees are a forgotten community that were driven from their homeland by ISIS and face enormous hurdles in their quest to find hope in their context. The main research question of this project was, “Do outdoor activities, and especially rock climbing, help these young refugees improve their mental health and well-being?” The literature looks at the region's history, displacement from homelands, the history of adventure therapy, and its impact in the different parts of the world. A series of interviews and surveys were conducted with some of the young people who participated in the Çîyako program. The research showed that the program helps young people face fear and gives them a practical pathway to managing it. Many of the young people made the leap of imagination to see how it could help them manage and overcome fear in other areas of their lives. It also showed the importance of leaving the refugee camp, which helped buoy their spirits. This was closely associated with the beautiful mountain environment the young people enjoyed. Investment in friendship groups was also highlighted as a significant benefit of the program, along with feelings of pride in their achievements as they returned to worried parents. This research shows that the Çîyako program is effective, though it needs to be scaled up to reach its full potential. It also provides a model that could be replicated in other areas with many displaced people.
Matthew Low is a UK-qualified Mountain Instructor. Since 2017, he has been developing an adventure therapy program for displaced people in the Kurdish region of Iraq. He is researching the impact of outdoor activities on the Mental Health and Well-Being of displaced people.
Glenn Miles is a community-based researcher and member of the up! Collective. Glenn’s work includes decades of experience working with community-based organizations across the globe doing community engaged research and evaluation. Glenn’s research interest include vulnerable children, refugees and the displaced, and how nature can enhance the well-being of children.