Children Forum Project
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| الزيارات: 138
Project Title Children Forum Project
Project Description
This project aims to form a supportive framework for children an youth on psychological, social and also cultural levels.
It entails psychosocially, social and cultural leisure time program, targeting children between 7 and 13 years old and youth between 14 and 24 years old. The project seeks to empower children from a weak socio-economic background with psychotically counseling, but also discover their creative talents through cultural and artistic courses and activities that will help them spend their leisure time in a constructive, healthy and positive way.
The idea of the program is to rehabilitate these children and help them to play an active and influential role in the society. This program is working to build bridges between the individual and society, by developing the capacity and skills of individuals and enable them to serve in the service of the community, which actually have a positive role in the development and prosperity of the community.
This project aims to create a stable and safe second home in the Forum where these children can develop and strengthen their creative and personality skills. In close relation with the schools, a program will be set up in which a counselor will deal with children on a psychological level to work with them on how to deal with their personal problems.
In addition, we will also provide these children with a variety of cultural and sports activities, recreational and cultural trips.
This project consists of three main components, which are:
- The program for children at risk; an intensive counseling program to rehabilitate children at risk (age group 7 – 13 years), focusing on psychological aspects.
- Community center for youth and children; providing youth (14-24 years) and children with activities to spend their leisure time in a constructive and positive way and keep them of the streets. Improving their personal and creative skills will benefit them not only now, but also in the future.
- Recreational and cultural trips to create cultural awareness and educate children on different aspects of the Palestinian society.
Annex 1 includes a detailed description of the 'Children at Risk' program
Project Background:
How did the project idea emerge?
JCRD is located in Beit Haninah neighborhood of Jerusalem; the number of people living there doubled in recent years and this has caused significant problems due to active house
demolitions that are conducted there, in addition of the bad prevailing socio economic situation and the bad living conditions of most people. One of these problems is the behavioral patterns as seen among the children. They've adopted a type of 'street culture' – a culture with no limits, unattached from family and community, a hopeless view of the future, no interest in schools and bad social behavior that is not being corrected. These problems aren't only documented in the collective observation, but are also observed by volunteers active in JCRD. This is very worrying and JCRD feels something has to be done now in order to prevent bigger social problems on the long run. These problems need to be tackled from the roots.
Project idea validation with community:
The idea of the program is to rehabilitate the children in order to become influential and active citizens within the community in the future. This program is working to build bridges between the individual and society, by developing the capacity and skills of individuals and enabling them to contribute in the development of the community.
JCRD has a good reputation among the society particularly because of its achievement in establishing a contemporary kindergarten that applies a modern curriculum depending on high technology and modern teaching methods. JCRD decision to establish the kindergarten came in response to the needs for 120 kindergartens in East Jerusalem. According to some estimates around 90% of the 15,000 of Palestinian children (3 and 4 years old) are not enrolled in any pre-school education facility. Moreover, according to JCSEC, there is a short down of 14000 classrooms
Project Justification:
JCRD has hands-on-knowledge about the deteriorating situation in city. Population growth has caused significant problems due to the bad socio economic situation within the city and the bad living conditions of most people. This coupled with the policy of house demolition which has been active in the area and leave very severe impacts on the people. One of these problems is the behavioral patterns as seen among the children. They've adopted a type of 'street culture' – a culture with no limits, unattached from family and community, a hopeless view of the future, no interest in schools and bad social behavior that is not being corrected. School drop out rates are very high among youth in East Jerusalem. This is very worrying and JCRD feels something has to be done now in order to prevent further social problems on the long run. These problems need to be tackled from the roots; re-establishment of strong links between children, youth and their community, family and schools, but most of all, themselves. Parents feel they are 'loosing their children to the streets' and the need for a project to deal with this is very strong; the community is very aware of the problems and difficulties that the children are facing nowadays, but they don't have the instruments to deal with this, due to their weak socio economic position.
The aim is to provide these children with instruments that will enable them to deal and ultimately change their current deprived situation.
Organization’s experience relevant to this project:
In the past years JCRD has been active in dealing with children. In addition to the curriculum, JCRD teaches in its kindergarten liberal values and peace education. The kindergarten is also equipped with a sophisticated camera system connected to the internet which enables families to watch their kids anytime.
Recently, JCRD expand the construction of its building and added more facilities including a swimming pool and a multipurpose hall. This will enable the JCRD to implement its activities in a more convenient and comfortable way.