Strengthening of social and educational services for minors in Palestinian refugee camps of Mar Elias, Burj Barajneh and Rashidieh in Lebanon – 10339/CTM/LBN

Implementing Agency:
Cooperazione nei Territori del Mondo – CTM Onlus

Local partner:
Ghassan Kanafani Cultural Foundation – GKCF

Project partner:
Unione Italiana Sport Per tutti – UISP

Country:
Lebanon (Beirut and Tyre)

Beneficiaries:
431 children, 20 GKCF educators and staff members, 270 parents, 180 educators employed in UNRWA schools and other local associations

Start date:
February 2, 2015

Expected duration:
3 years

Total budget:
Euros 1,629,554

Cofunding:
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Directorate General for Development Cooperation (Euros 1.137.453)

Despite their decades-long presence on the Lebanese territory, Palestinians in Lebanon live in difficult social and economic conditions: children and young Palestinians have restricted access to the public school system, while the cost of private education is not sustainable for most of the families. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), – a reference authority for the project -, offers primary and secondary education programs in the refugee camps, while local non-profit associations provide social and educational services, aimed at overcoming formal education system shortcomings. UNRWA socio-economic survey, on Palestinian refugees state of poverty in Lebanon in 2010, has highlighted the fact that supporting education is one of the most efficient instruments for alleviating poverty.
Against this background, the project intends to contribute to improving the living conditions of the children in the Palestinian refugee camps of Mar Elias, Burj Barajneh and Rashidieh in Lebanon, by increasing and enhancing social and educational services provided in GKCF centers. To this end, the project advocates for an integrated strategy, which addresses the main factors and actors of child development, through interconnected activities that focus on:

1) Expanding and renovating three GKCF centers buildings, in the three Palestinian refugee camps of Mar Elias, Burj Barajneh and Rashidieh, so as to turn them into healthy and safe environments for the children’s psychophysical and educational healthy development;

2) Improving the quality of educational services by providing the educators at GKCF centers, with trainings and refresher courses;

3) Actively involving the parents in their children’s educational process, by carrying out training courses, workshops and meetings on specific topics, such as shared responsibility, for the educational and psychophysical well-being of the child, as well as nutrition and dental hygiene;

4) Developing learning support programs and ludic – recreational activities, aimed at improving the children’s school performance, communication skills, self-motivation and psychophysical well-being;

5) Disseminating Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) methodology, based on a holistic approach harnessing different activities conceived for children, youth and people with disabilities, and taking into consideration all aspects of development and growth by encouraging creative expression.