Kindergarten Has Started!
Classes have started in our preschool, Zahrat Al-Yasmeen located in the UN-run Aida refugee camp. Despite living in dehumanizing conditions: caged behind walls, no freedom of movement, economic precarity & enhanced trauma, the children are ready to learn! Like kids everywhere, the start of school is a major life event. Filled with excitement & a little fear. The team at Zahrat Al-Yasmeen know this, meet children where they are at & create a great learning environment.
Zahrat Al-Yasmeen is made possible financially by thousands of donors. They are united in advancing high-quality education that starts young lives off well for a lifetime of learning. A local Boston foundation, the Jinny Chalmers Fund for Education Justice, has supported training for teachers to help them support children with trauma. Thank you.
-
![]()
A Fresh Start.
The first 2 weeks of school were filled with discovery. KG1 students settled into daily routines exploring emotional expression, straight & curved lines, colors & motor skills. KG2 students began building their early reading skills through a daily “Good Morning” message, practiced numbers, explored shapes, expressed their emotions & strengthened fine motor skills.
-
![]()
Summer Preparation.
Over the summer, teachers trained online with international educators to prepare for the year ahead. A special focus was on trauma-informed care & active participation pedagogy. They also refreshed the classrooms with new toys, books & learning materials, decorating the space to make every child feel welcome.
-
![]()
A New Ball Pit.
A brand-new ball pit was added — replacing the old, unused sandbox— & the children’s joy in exploring it is undeniable.
-
![]()
A Great Place to Learn.
A new 3rd classroom
75 children are enrolled
20 children on waiting list
A new specialized English teacher
8 teachers, 1 academic director & 1 administrative director
Environment Summer Camp for Teenagers.
The summer camp took place in early August & was led by the Health 4 Palestine & environment programs teams. It lasted for 1 week. During that time, you could see the bursts of creativity & positive energy in the youth. They have endured so much & continue to suffer on a daily basis with the ongoing Israeli military occupation & genocide in Gaza. Seeing tens of young people walking the hills, sitting under trees & learning about flora & fauna is amazing! These teenagers are usually confined to their 2 refugee camp locations, which have almost no green spaces or nature.
This is a great picture! It is of the summer camp participants at the final meeting of the week-long program. Aren’t they wonderful?!
Here Summer Camp participants learn about pollution & environmental hazards. During the week they also gained new abilities in making public presentations. This will help them in the future as they continue to develop their professional skills.
The camp provided practical ways the teens could improve their lived environments. One way was teaching about how to recycle non-organic waste. This is a project we have supported since the beginning of the organization.
Pallets are reused as tables. Tires are made into planters. These are just 2 examples. By removing waste from the garbage it means less is burnt & air quality improves. That is really important in a dense living environment likes the camps.
Getting out into nature, where possible, was perhaps the high point of the camp for participants. Here, they are hiking from the Makrour Hills to nearby Battir Village. This is an incredibly beautiful area just a few kilometers from the camps. Terraced hillsides, ancient olive trees, birds, small animals & some springs.
The hike got the teens into nature to see its glory & to learn about the diversity of local plants, the impact of climate change & of course to have some fun. They are teens after all!
Learn More About Our Work in Hydroponics: Download our Infographic HERE or click on the image.
1for3: 1 Organization - 3 Palestinian Rights.
Health
Health 4 Palestine (H4P) is our program that supports community health. In it, 26 trained community health workers (CHWs) work in 5 camps with over 700 patients. Most care focuses on treating chronic diseases & trauma.
Environment Food
Our work in food encompasses the construction & operation of three community hydroponic gardens & a number of micro growing towers. We provide training in hydroponics. Women & young people make up the core participants in our food work. Our goal is to advance Palestinian food sovereignty & support healthy lifestyles.
Environment Water
We established potable water quality monitoring programs, built two community cisterns, replaced 30 rooftop water tanks to safeguard household water supplies & trained refugees to conduct independent water testing that resulted in upgraded infrastructure improvements. We also led four delegations to build water testing labs & train testing technicians.
Education
Zahrat Al-Yasmeen kindergarten.
Since 2019, 1for3 has brought together Palestinian & US educators to support child-focused learning. Together, they build curricula, teaching methods & new offerings of student support. Opened in 2021 & located in the UN-run Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, West Bank, Zahrat Al-Yasmeen kindergarten provides a great pre-school education for 50 children from two UN-run camps.