Sponsor letter from Bethlehem
10/12/2007
An update from Summer 2007
The Palestinian Territories continue to face a difficult social and economic situation. Due to the lack of government funds to pay teachers, all government schools in Palestine remained closed from September through November and the students are facing the same problem again this month. In fall, SOS held afternoon classes for the SOS students studying in government schools at the school in Bethlehem. The government strike also prevented SOS from continuing its partnership projects with the Palestinian Ministry of Social Welfare.
During the year, seven village children left the village to return to their biological families. After reassessing the children’s situation, it was decided that they would benefit more from living with their biological families. After they returned to their biological families, four of these children were transferred to the SOS Prevention program. Also this year, SOS Bethlehem welcomed five new children. Three of the children were recently orphaned. The close of the 2006 school year, twelve children left the village and moved to the nearby SOS youth houses.
Many of the SOS children were involved in interesting projects and trips this year. One boy traveled to Japan in the summer to represent Palestine on the national football team at an international tournament. Three children from SOS traveled to the United States to attend the Seeds of Peace Summer Camp in the United States, where they met and lived with children from all over the world. In the fall, two children received prizes for their participation in the Schools Online project, a joint project with Relief International, which links children all over the world through the internet. SOS also formed a partnership this year with Defense for Children International, which now works regularly with children in the village on issues of children’s rights. In cooperation with DCI, SOS elected its first ever Children’s Council in October. The Council will work with the children, mothers and employees to improve communication and cooperation in the village.
The staff of mothers underwent great change this year as well. Three new aunts were employed and completed their theoretical and practical training; they are now living in the village, assisting the mothers in the work. One mother retired after fifteen years of service to SOS Bethlehem. A farewell party was held in her honor, and all of the children whom she raised returned to the village to celebrate her great work.
The SOS Children’s Village in the West Bank consists of one Children’s Village, one school and a nursery school, four psycho-social centers and one psycho-social mobile center. There are also Prevention of Child Abandonment Programs in Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip.
In the spring, children participated in celebrations for Mothers’ Day, Palestinian Children’s Day, and Global Peace Games, a one week sport festival for all clubs in Bethlehem. During summer, SOS will host a seven-day summer camp for village and community children. Nine students participated in the SOS Debka (traditional dance) Team, which performed at a number of village and community festivals throughout the year. The village drama team attended a puppet workshop at the Bethlehem Peace Center and performed a play in the village. In addition, groups of village children participated in a variety of extracurricular activities, including the football team, swimming lessons, karate, ping pong tournament, summer sport camp and Terra Sancta Scouts. The Village formed partnerships with many local cultural and educational organizations, including the International Center of Bethlehem, Holy Land Trust, and Defense for Children International. SOS Bethlehem is particularly proud of this year’s Global Peace Games, which will take place in August. The event will be a week-long athletic festival which will be held in the Village, with cooperation from the Ministry of Youth and the Palestinian Football Union.
The greatest new challenge this year for the SOS Village came from the economic sanctions placed on the Palestinian government by foreign aid sources, and the resultant strike by government workers, which began in March of last year up to date. The first effect of this strike on the village was the closure of the Ministry of Social Affairs thus it made it difficult for SOS to accept new cases, since the government is usually the organization that refers families to SOS services. In both cases, the Village relied on the psycho-social centers to visit and deliver social reports about the families, many of whom were living in cities that the Village could not access because of checkpoints and security closures.
One child in the village, Hussein, had a very special adventure this year. Hussein, age 12, was chosen to play for the Palestinian National Youth Football Team, and traveled to Japan to play in an international football tournament. Along with his teammates, Hussein represented Palestine proudly, and made friends with young athletes from all over the world. Another child is worth noting for her academic achievements this year. Rashida was illiterate before she came to the village when she was 10 years old. At first she studied in a special education school, and after two years came to the SOS school. She is now 12 years old and in 4th grade.
In October the Village began construction for two new family houses and one house for the aunts, which will accommodate 18 new children. SOS Bethlehem has been operating three youth houses and two semi-independent houses. 18 boys lived in the two boys’ youth houses, 15 girls in the girls’ youth houses, and 8 boys and 9 girls lived in semi-independent housing during their university and vocational studies.
During the year, each SOS youth completed 30 hours of volunteer work. They participated in a variety of village celebrations, including family birthdays, holiday parties and Mothers’ Day. Many youths returned to the village on a regular basis to help their mothers in the homes, spend time with their younger siblings, and organize recreational activities for the village children. Smaller groups of youth participated in a number of special projects with local and international organizations, including an achievement course with Palestinian Vision, an internet exchange program with Schools Online and Relief International, the Youth Drug Prevention Campaign, and Seeds of Peace Summer Camp in the United States.
The school and nursery continue to support the local community through education. In addition, the children in the Village participated in a number of service activities to help poor families in the Bethlehem community, and the Village also held a health workshop open to Bethlehem residents sponsored by the Ministry of Health.
The kindergarten strives to support the development of the children by working with each child individually, as well as in groups. The children participated in the school-wide celebration of Mother’s Day, and made gifts for their mothers.
The school in Bethlehem continued to operate and expand in 2006.the school established the Environmental Club with support from the Lutheran Church and the Environmental Education Center in Bethlehem. The school won a prize for its participation in an Environmental poster-making competition, and also created a recycled-paper project, with which they made cards and gifts for teachers and family members for the holiday season. The French Education Consulate visited the school. In December, the school began construction to expand the school’s facilities, and has already opened one new classroom.
SOS opened two new permanent psycho-social centers in the West Bank last year. These two centers supported the work of the existing centers. In addition, the mobile center, this has been operating since 2003. All of these centers provide necessary psycho-social relief services to the Palestinian community, primarily to children.
The Family Strenghtening Programme (FSP) in the West Bank - Bethlehem began in 2005 and expanded in 2006. This year, the program worked with 400 children from 94 families in the Bethlehem district. Since the program is new, we are currently in Level 1 of the services, providing essential services and psycho-social relief to the families.
The FSP Program was started in Gaza in 2004, and continued to operate and expand its capacity in 2006. FSP has cared for 554 children in 117 families so far; FSP children in Gaza receive essential services such as academic support, material aid (stationary, school uniforms, etc.), monthly medicine, special food and health treatment for chronically ill children, children’s rights activities, computer courses and summer camps.
Dear Sponsor and friend, as always we appreciate your support, and we are grateful that you are enabling us in continuing our services and giving shelters and houses to homeless children. Your staying with us gives us the feeling that we are not alone. In the name of our children, mothers and co-workers, we extend to you our hearty greetings and good wishes for a pleasant summer time.
Mohammed Shalaldeh
Director
SOS Children's Village Bethlehem
Child sponsor letter from Rafah
With the light of the sun, with the fresh breeze and with the warble of birds we send our greetings in this summer to you and invite you to a small journey to the SOS Rafah to know the last news of our children and village in summer 2007.
I would like to start with an important event which is exhibition for the latest Palestinian folklore was organized and held on the ground of the village for the first time. Expressly the exhibition had shown different traditional dresses and paintings with the old beautiful Palestinian needlework and Palestinian tents. The exhibition takes us back to the past and enables our children to see how our past life was. All the SOS staff and our children wore the old traditional dresses and the mothers baked old bread on the fire and Arabian delicious coffee and presented to the guests. It was two days of enjoyment and changing the daily life in the village. Representatives of governmental and non governmental organizations visited the exhibition. All the audience expressed their great admiration of the exhibition.
Another important event was the openness of a beautiful youth house for the boys. Twelve youths moved to live in the youth house with new youth leaders. The youths were so spirited and happy to move to the new house and to start the independent life, so they started to work hardly to improve themselves and to be responsible. They are receiving regular orientation and support from the village director till they stand strongly in their life and enable them to go on their future. Of course all of us wish them all the best in their new life.
On the first day of April of every year the community celebrates the Orphan's Day. This year the cabinet of Minister and Ministry of Social Affaires in close cooperation with the organization with the organizations sponsoring the orphan's day celebration with the orphans in Gaza Strip. The huge celebration was attended by group of ministers, members of the Palestinian legislative council and members of NGOs. The Minister of Social Affairs in his speech appreciated the SOS role and the community organizations which sponsored and helped the orphans to shape their future. Our folklore band showed a wonderful dance for the audience who continue to clap hands for more than three minutes. Finally the pri-minister presented acknowledge certificates for the participant associations.
This report full of pleasant news, in the occasion of passing six years of working in our village, a big party was organized and held in the village. In cheerful atmosphere the village director acknowledged all the efforts of good friends who were supporting the SOS Rafah a long the past years till now. Their support which helps us to go on and to achieve our mission with the needy children. At the end of the celebration all the employees who worked for six years were honored.
Of course we cant finish our report without speaking about our beloved children who live in very good conditions because of your kindness and continues caring of them. Recently we admitted a child of 10 months who lost his mother. The baby was in very bad conditions and his weight was less than expected in his age. Our doctor made intensive check ups and set a balance list of good nutrition to betterment his health. Besides the baby needs worm care and home. Thank God, after one month of intensive follow up and care of SOS mother and everyone in the staff, he is getting more better.
This summer the children participated in many activities outside the village in sharing of the community, that number of our girls and boys joined to a summer camp on the sea beach for a week. The children were very interested and spend useful times since it was new experience to share in a camp on the beach.
I don't find suitable words which can express our great thankfulness and gratitude for all your efforts and support to help our children and put them on the right way of achieving bright future. By the name of all children thank you so much for your good deed.
With Our Best Wishes
Wael Abou Mustafa
Village Director
SOS Children's Village Rafah
Relevant Countries: Palestinian Territories.