Presentation begins with light, entertaining clown acts and games.	Children at Sultaniya enjoying a clown show prior to main message.

A unique program that Family Care Lebanon has developed is “Be Aware”, a presentation for school children that uses animation to raise awareness and educate kids about the danger of land mines.

Animators teach the children about how to identify land mine fields.	Presentation at main school in a school district in south Lebanon.

It is estimated that 150,000 landmines of all categories, including “cluster bombs”, are spread throughout Lebanon, primarily in the south.

Young survivor of a cluster bomb, one of the students at this school.	Tawouk the clown demonstrates what to do if trapped in a mine field.

Thus the main target areas for the “Be Aware” program are the villages in the south of the country, where land mine awareness is a matter of life and death, as well as schools in Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

Mojo and Dolly anxiously watch Tawouk’s rescue. – Maroun El Ras.	Animators teaching students how they can identify various land mines.

Performances are typically presented at a school district’s main school, where children from neighboring villages gather. Beneficiaries range from three through fifteen years of age.

While the primary purpose of these performances is to raise awareness of mine risk, and to educate the children on the correct safety procedure when confronted with live mines, these shows also provide fun entertainment for the children of these remote villages—a first for many, as the schools are generally so poor that they are not able to afford more than basic academic studies for the children.

In the words of one school director: “The best thing about this show is that you get the children’s attention by the games and clown acts, and once they are captivated by the show you are able to deliver the very important message. We need more of these shows in the surrounding villages as well.”