::: | DEVELOPMENT & HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE | :::

MAP initiates humanitarian and development projects that have a durable impact on the living conditions of Palestinians. With its partners, MAP targets long-term projects, including the establishment and reinforcement of independent Palestinian health care systems as well as the increase of employment possibilities. These projects are subsidised in part by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Direction de l'Aide Internationale du Québec (DAI) In order to receive financing from La contrepartie, requise pour obtenir du financement des bailleurs de fonds, est recueillie auprès du public sous forme de dons. Therefore, your financial contributions are essential to completing our projects.


Playgrounds for the Palestinian children

This year MAP undertook a new project whose ultimate beneficiaries are the Palestinian children. It aims at installing playgrounds in villages, close to schools or inside nurseries, in order to make it possible for children to play and to have fun in complete peace and under the supervision of adults. Already three playgrounds with equipment were installed at the village of Marda, the Jalazon refugee camp, and in Jenin, at a cost of $5000 each.

To establish this project, a contract was concluded in December 2006, between the AMP and our local partner Sharek Youth Forum (www.sharek.ps). Created in 1996, Sharek is an organization whose mission is to support the dynamic development of young people through innovative activities; among others, directly related to education, employment, sports, and communication.

Thanks to Canadian private donations, $13,341 CAD was transferred to Sharek to establish 3 new playgrounds to be located in rural areas or locations where such equipment is scarce or non-existent. The first is located in Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip, and the two others are on the West Bank, at Al-Abidiyha, in the area of Bethlehem, and in Rameen, in the area of Tulkarem.

You can contribute to this specific project, one quite modest in scope but nonetheless extremely useful, while forwarding to us your donations.
Pre-school education Program for the Palestinian children in Lebanon

This two years project, at the total cost of 519 637$, had started in February 2005. It is financed jointly by the Canadian Agency for the international Development (ACDI) and the Department of International assistance (DAI) of the Ministry for International relations of Quebec. It aims at establishing a program that will support the development of active learning at the pre-school level. in all refugee camps in Lebanon.
Presently, there are about 14, 000 children refugees aged between 4 and 5. In camps, only ten Non Governmental Organization offers preschool secular education for 3,600 children to cover only 25 % of total number of refugee children. The other schools place the emphasis on memorisation and other inflexible techniques.

Achievements

In spite of an initial delay, the project took its cruising speed and it is presently in a stage of full realization.

a- An innovative project

Firstly, we want to underline the originality of this project: It is the only project existing in the Middle-East which was aims at radically reorganize the preschool system in terms of content and training intended for the children, the first beneficiaries, the teaching staff and the parents to encourage their implication in this active learning program.

b- A project that draws attention

Already, the project took a larger dimension compared to its initial objectives:
  1. The number of partner organizations was increased to include all those who run nursery schools in refugee camps.
  2. The project started to attract the interest of organizations and agencies involved in the field of early childhood learning, such UNICEF and UNRWA.

c- Renovation, training and awareness

Important phaseses of this project were implemented. In spite of an initial delay, renovations started intensely and will be finished very soon. The training entered an intensive phase. The choice of trainers was completed as envisaged and several training sessions were organized according to the original plan. Training material was prepared and distributed to the participants.

As for the participation of the families, a permanent campaign is under way to raise their awareness and get them involved in the new program intended for their children. Although they were not familiar with this new method of learning, they responded with great enthusiasm.

d- A successful tripartite coordination

Coordination with partner organisations was very satisfactory. This applies to our major partner, the Welfare Association or local Palestinian organizations. It should be mentioned that this was partly due to the existence of relations of confidence among all those involved in this project, the result of previous collaboration in implementing projects which were financed by the CIDA.