The Cause
“We were told by psychiatrists that children now routinely ask when they will die… The future of the region depends on the next generation of Palestinians, yet they are being severely damaged as each day passes under siege.” Gerald Kaufman, British MP During Israel’s war on Gaza in 2009, the population of Gaza suffered relentless aerial and ground attacks. During this offensive: - Over 1,400 Palestinians were killed, 400 of them children The situation has been deteriorating since the blockade on the Gaza Strip began in 2007. In 2011, Cycling4Gaza will be supporting the Welfare Association. Funds raised will go to the Welfare’s core Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programme which provides health and educational support to mentally and physically disabled children, in particular those disabled in the 2009 conflict. Cycling4Gaza is supporting 3 CBR projects through the Welfare Association: The National Society for Rehabilitation in Khan Younis and Rafah will support 650 children with disabilities by: - Providing rehabilitation services Society for the Care of the Handicapped in the Gaza Strip, ‘Sun Centre Children’s Club’ will support 180 children by: - Assessing children’s needs and supporting their learning disabilities Nour El Marifa Association, ‘Friendly Learning Spaces’, will support 250 children with special needs and learning difficulties from some of the most impoverished areas in the middle of Gaza in basic skill development in Arabic, English and Mathematics. The project will involve: - Participatory and active learning techniques to engage the children and encourage their levels of concentration Contact us for more information on these projects.
- Hospitals, UN schools and shelters were targeted
- 21,000 homes were destroyed, leaving over 90,000 people homeless
- Providing psychosocial support for children and their families
- Supporting the children’s education
- Raising local community awareness on the rights and needs of those with disabilities through the production of publications and other materials
- Providing educational equipment, software and books to develop and improve children’s cognitive, memory and analystical skills
- Upgrading the teaching skills of 16 teachers through training and specialised workshops to better meet children’s needs and develop each child’s skills to their maximum potential
- Psychological support activities including group consulting, individual consulting, home visits and the monitoring of negative phenomena through workshops
- Recreational therapeutic activities such as social and educational day trips, artistic and dramatic activities and folklore and scouting to develop children’s skills and build their self-confidence.
