Final summary report for EJE (Children, Play and Education) and its partners in the West Bank and Gaza
September 1st 2006 - December 31st 2007
The primary project objective was to establish Play and Animation Centers staffed by a network of child professionals, in the West Bank and Gaza. Funding for this project was provided for a period of 16 month period by the French Cooperation, in the amount of 180,000 Euros. An additional 40,000 Euros was provided by the Catholic Committee Against Hunger (CCFD).
EJE is a Franco-Palestinian non-governmental organization, which has been active in Palestine for five years. EJE works to improve the living conditions of Palestine's most vulnerable and impoverished children.
EJE has created Play and Animation Centers in refugee camps for children from the age of 6 to 16. These centers serve as protected spaces where children can escape the hardships of their refugee camps through involvement in educational games. The children participate in activities which foster their educational development, such as free play, painting, theatre, cultural activities, and sports. These activities are organized and led by trained members of the community.
EJE aids in the development of French language skills and cultural knowledge in its local Palestinian community through two ongoing projects: The educational support in partnership with the French High School of Jerusalem and the opening of the first French kindergarten school in Bethlehem.
The Play and Animation Centers of the West Bank are present in two refugee camps: Shu'fat and Jalazone. In Gaza, EJE operates in association with two womens' organizations in the camps of Jabalia and Rafah. The project experienced difficulties at the beginning of the year due the political situation and the displacements for the teams on the field. Despite these set backs EJE was successful in the implementation of its project goals.
2006-2007 was a period of ongoing difficulties for Palestinians due to the expansive construction of the apartheid wall and land confiscation by Israel. These policies have created a lack of hope for oppurtunities in the future, which has radicalization many segments of the Palestinian youth. This process of radicalization has been furthered their disappointment in the failures of peace negotiations, the internal corruption of the PNA and the lack of security and stability in their daily lives and communities. These socio-economic ailments have increased communail acceptance of and support for Hamas (a religious traditionalist party).
The unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but still maintains control of it's borders. By controlling the boarders of Gaza Isreali has created a prison with an open sky, denying the people of Gaza political and economic sovereignty. The Palestinian Authority’s objectives have been hampered internal corruption and repeated attacks from the Israeli Army. This has created an environment defined by a state of chaos perpetuated by militias seeking power. This struggle for power, in combination with the swaying of public opinion towards Hamas, due to the inability of Fatah to fulfill governmental obligations and provide minimum security inside Gaza, has resulted in Hamas gaining power.
In 2006, following the results of the Palestinian and Israeli elections, Palestine entered a new phase of military violence. This phase was defined by the continued policy f targeted assassination, Israeli air raids, and the launching of artisanal missiles into south Israel by Palestinian extremists in Gaza. In addition the boycott of the Hamas government deprived more than 150000 public employees of their wages during one year .This worsened the humane disaster which touches a great majority of Palestinians starting on the 25th of January 2006.
In June 2007, following inter-Palestinians combats, Hamas took total control of the Gaza Strip, and declared as enemy territories with a policy of collective sanctions applied by Israel which takes the totality of the civil population as hostages a few weeks later.
The Palestinian children and the particular refugees are the first to be affected by the degradation of the economic situation, the mass unemployment and the increase in poverty. According to the World Bank 44% of Palestinians live under the poverty line. The difficulties which parents face affect the education of the children. These difficulties make the parents very irritable, violent and sometimes indifferent to the problems of their children. Children are consequently victims of triple violence, which is fired on them by the occupation, the family and the school.
In spite of this complicated situation, EJE has succeeded in reopening and supporting 2 new animation centers for the children from the age of 6 to 14 years in the refugee camps of Shu'fat and Jalazone in partnership with the Palestinian Child Centers. EJE also support 2 centers in the Gaza Strip in partnership with women’s associations of Rafah and Jabalia.
The centers also act as spaces for dialogue, training and sensitizing of the parents and the teachers. This happens with the assumption of responsibility towards children in situation of crisis, and the promotion of the child rights.
During the period from September 2006 to December 2007, EJE projects have contributed to the improvement of the psychosocial wellbeing and the educational environment of the most vulnerable Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza. This is done through the support and development of socio educational projects for the children within the framework of animation centers. Through the installation of psychosocial and educational activities, the vocational training for the local personnel and the support for associations partners activities are implemented, also are they implemented through the development of animation activities around the area of children rights. This is done with special attention on meetings and exchanges between families, teachers, childhood professionals and local actors including children from various communities.
Lastly, EJE created 31 jobs including 12 in the centers of the West Bank and 8 in the centers of Gaza during the period of the project. EJE has made a contribution for 31 families in spite of the difficult economic situation (13 in the Gaza Strip and 18 in the West Bank).
By offering the children spaces of reception where they can practice specific activities fitting their age and can be treated as social individuals and they are able to gain new trust in themselves and respect from their environment.
A number of children benefiting from the centers
- 260 children in Shu'fat from the age of 6 to 14 years with conceited and 295 children from the age of 6 to 12 years with Jalazone profit from the psychosocial and educational support since September 2006.
- 200 children in Jabalia and 210 children in Rafah benefited from educational activities and a psychosocial support since January 2007.
- 8, 000 children and young people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank took part in the play and leisure activities organized within the framework of 150 temporary spaces for youth create
- Rate of frequentation of the centers
The daily average frequentation is in the West Bank 120 children in Jalazone and 80 children in conceited Shu'fat. The daily frequentation in Jabalia is 160 children and 140 children in Rafah. All of the centers accommodate male and female without distinctions.
The schedule of the activities made is supposed to enable the children to regularly take part in the three weekly meetings planned for each group. The attendance records and the participation monitors of the children in activities indicate that the majority of the children registered in the centers took part in the activities on a regular basis.
- number of children which took part in activities organized within the network
2750 children took part in activities within the framework of game workshops. This included sports and cultural events during the open days of the inaugurations.
1.1.1 EJE professionals at the centers
To ensure the set up of the educational project:
- 4 persons are in charge for each Center ensures quality of the human resource management and respect for the project (methodology and procedures). 10 organizers were recruited to accompany the children during activities and to establish links with the community
- 4 persons are in charge and 20 organizers are integrated in a process of continuous training
- 11 persons are in charge and 28 organizers put into contact and network
- 15 organizers took part in the activities related to play, sport, cultural events
The persons in charge of the centers and their organizers come from the camps in which they live. They are on average 25 years old, including 13 women and 7 men. They are students or professionals trained in cooperation with EJE.
EJE has made successful changes and still continues reforms to become an active and innovative NGO in the fields of education and the vocational training the last 16 months. EJE has become an NGO with 30 paid employees offering childhood and new pedagogies. Its current annual budget exceeds 300 000 Euros. The step of acquiring the statute of NGO began in the Ministry Palestinian of the Interior in March 2007. This will soon lead to the acknowledgement of EJE as an NGO after having had 5 years of services to children. EJE also succeeded in becoming integrated in an international network, and also becoming a member of several likeminded networks serving its ideal: To raise children which are entrusted to is in a humanitarian way!
EJE is now an active member of Voice Of the Children. This is a federation of 79 associations in 98 countries, which organizes for the protection of children world wide. EJE in addition is also member of the International League of Teaching, Education and the Popular Culture. The League bases its action on education and support for civil countries and the education systems in the Southern Countries. Its action always results in the exchange of practices and equitable partnership. The role of associations of North Countries is complementary with associations with the South.
Finally, EJE is also an active member of the Anna Lindh foundation whose main objective consists in bringing people closer with organizations of the two Mediterranean shores. Exchanges and co-operation are encouraged, in a spirit of tolerance, comprehension and solidarity. The Foundation is a network beginning in Alexandria, including 35 national networks established by the Member States of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
The work completed in Palestine by EJE during the period from September 2006 to the end of December 2007 made possible to reopen two centers in two refugee camps suffering from insulation in the West Bank. Their activities profited in a great number of children and actors working in the field of child counseling. In addition, it made it possible to support two other centers in Gaza. The play projects organized since September 2006 have allowed several thousand children of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to expressed themselves, learn and develop through play activity and by the spontaneous and can free participation in the activities of leisure in their districts. The visit reports of ground of the team EJE (pedagogue, psychologist, and coordinator) in charge of the training and the follow-up of the persons in charge of the centers. The organizers make positive steps of installing devices of psychosocial and educational support with the centers, aiming at the children’s education. The current organization of receptions and activities spaces, the management of means and resources set up as well as the quality of teaching and psychological work with the children testify to the appropriation of the project by partner associations.
The 4 Palestinian partners in the West Bank and in Gaza co-funded and contributed financially to the decision-makings concerning the project on all the levels. This reinforced the institutional viability of the 4 centers. However, we cannot yet speak about a financial viability of the centers in the current stage. The partners still need additional support in order to allow them at to reach a viable outcome. This is why EJE will continue to support the 4 centers during 2008 but by reducing the number of the organizers compensated for half. The evidence collected on the ground shows that the centers are now recognized by the local community by the UNRWA for their positive impact they have on the children and parents. The centers made it possible for the parents to be more interested in the schooling of their children and to participate in the dialogue with teachers within a neutral framework. In addition it was made possible to meet specialists who address their concerns about the education and the health of their children. The parents gave social recognition to the volunteers who work there, and began to recognize the professionalism of the organizer. The relationship between the centers and local NGOs has advanced so that similar projects could be created in each of the two camps. These projects of partnership are an innovation for the centers and their success has made it possible to limit the conflicts between the actors on the ground.
For the continuation of the project, EJE will continue its fight for the service of childhood by both working in areas which are not covered by other NGOs and by supporting new NGOs. Four new centers will be permanently established in the next 24 months (in 2008 and 2009). The staff training of the centers will continue, and the psychological follow-up of the children as well as the contacts with the families and the teachers will be strengthened thanks to the new local partners of EJE.
Within EJE, the network of activities will grow during the next two years. This includes creating new centers with other NGOs working in the field of psychosocial help, which will strengthen the existing devices. Meetings with the associative partners of the educational, social and psychological professions are planed in order to raise peoples’ awareness of children rights.
In the past due to the deterioration of the political situation, EJE has played an important role in both the national and international partnerships and the local network associative. This reinforced its convictions to educate a generation that is open, understanding, responsible and respectful of itself and others.
