ZAMASAMA PRESENTS
A Guide for Teachers and Parents
Written and Illustrated
by
Dima Eimesayel
Students will:
- Understand how war and civil unrest affect children.
- Explore how creativity can be a tool for healing and expression.
- Recognize that children around the world share common dreams, like becoming artists.
- Reflect on the emotional trauma of displacement and how small actions can support others.
Use creative storytelling, empathy-building, and art-based activities to help students understand the emotional toll of displacement and the healing power of imagination.
Discussion Questions
Before Reading:
- What is art to you? Do you need paints or materials to make art?
- Have you ever lost something important to you?
During Reading:
- How does the boy try to make art without his brushes?
- What feelings do you think he is experiencing?
- How does his view of being an artist change?
After Reading:
- How do you think children feel when they have to leave their homes because it’s no longer safe?
- What do you think they miss the most?
- Why do you think art helped the boy feel better?
Activities
1. In My Little Bag (Reflection + Art)
Ask students to imagine they must pack a small bag quickly and leave home.
- What 3–5 items would they take?
- Draw or write about each item.
- Discuss: What would you miss most? Why?
2. Nature Collage (Art)
Let children use leaves, petals, twigs, and scrap paper to make their own art
piece—just like the boy.
3. Windowpane Sketches (Sensory + Creativity)
Use clear plastic or transparency sheets and washable markers to let students draw using their fingers, imagining a foggy window.
4. Global Artists Gallery (Research or Visual Sharing)
Explore stories of refugee children who use art to express themselves (UNHCR or UNICEF campaigns).
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG Explanation:
- SDG 4: Highlights how learning can continue through creativity, even without formal schooling or materials.
- SDG 10: Encourages empathy and equity for displaced children by showing their experiences.
- SDG 16 Builds awareness of the impact of conflict and the importance of peaceful societies.
- Increased empathy and understanding of displaced children’s experiences
- Appreciation for art as an emotional and expressive tool
- Recognition of trauma in a gentle, age-appropriate manner
- Ability to link emotions to creative expression
Zamasama is a nonprofit platform that brings together stories from around the world to help children discover that beneath our differences—of culture, language, or belief—we share the same hopes, joys, and dreams.
Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens, and the responsibility of building a more peaceful, tolerant, and empathetic world lies with them.
That’s why it’s vital to instill these values early—through stories that help them rise above the biases they inherit, and see diversity as a strength that unites us all.