Help Expand Community Health Care for Refugees.
Kindergarten Teachers & Students Are Amazing.
Here are some recent photos from our kindergarten, Zahrat Al-Yasmeen, in the UN-run Aida refugee camp. The teachers & director have done an incredible job during the last year of terror to help the children deal with the trauma ongoing around them. We have helped by working with a Boston-based foundation to support pedagogy & curriculum skill enhancement on trauma & injustice. In the pictures, you can see how light & airy the classrooms are, which enhances learning. In addition, working with Design Palestine, an organization of architects, there is a new play yard & soon a new third classroom.
Consider an End-of-Year Contribution of Stock.
Click on the image to the left to send an email to Nidal, who will help make the contribution possible.
Exploring a Health & Wellness Partnership.
13 Nov. — While in Palestine I am meeting with partners to help our work. With a delegation from the US & from the West Bank I met with officials from Bethlehem University, a catholic-run institution. We discussed expanding our work together. Right now, we host occupational & physical therapy students in our school, which I hope we can grow to include nursing students with our health program. Training is a big part of what would help serve more needy people. Getting our trained CHWs (community health workers) from around the West Bank into continuing education programs at the University would help. Serving the emergency medicine needs of those in northern West Bank camps is also important. Below are some pictures from the meeting. Despite everything going on, the closures, violence & economic scarcity, the University is doing amazing work.
1for3: 1 Organization - 3 Palestinian Rights - Served by 4 Programs.
Health
Health for Palestine (H4P) is our program that supports community health. In it, 14 trained community health workers (CHWs) have completed over 10,000 visits since March 2018. 280 patients are served, most facing hypertension and diabetes, in three refugee camps. We’ve organized three medical missions that have served over 700 refugees across 3 UN- administered camps. CHW’s responded to COVID-19 through public education and PPE-aware activities. Added to home visits are weekly sporting activities, monthly health teaching sessions, and a community health bazaar. Nutrition has also been prioritized by partnering with the food program to expand access to fresh produce. Rolling out culturally appropriate well-baby exams is being planned.
Food
1for3 and the Lajee Center built the first rooftop garden in Azza camp. The project has supported the construction of 45 rooftop and greenhouse gardens in both Aida and Azza camps. These gardens are an integral part of 1for3’s efforts to promote food security. The community hydroponic garden in the Aida refugee camp makes year-round fresh food production possible using 70-90% less water. To it, we have added a second garden, and now a third by July 2024 . In addition, micro-hydroponic units are being tested, which can grow 50 plants in an area the size of a balcony, and distributed to newly trained gardeners. A seedlings & seed store is being planned.
Water
We established potable water quality monitoring programs, constructed 45 rooftop gardens and greenhouses that serve 300 people, 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, and led four delegations to build water testing labs and train technicians to test and monitor water. Presentations on water are regularly conducted in UN and government-run schools. In addition, monitoring the impact of Israeli military tear gas on the health of community members is a larger issue to be tackled.
Education
The Lajee Center preschool supported by 1for3 openned in September 2021 for 50 children. The staff includes a director, six teachers, a custodian, and a program coordinator. By the 2024-2025 school year a third classroom will come on line adding 50% more room for students. In addition to being a school, the building and program serve as an informal community meeting place. Families play an important part in the school by reading to classes, supporting the teachers, and providing cultural learning. Re-imaging the limited green space nearby the school is being planned. This will connect the inside classrooms to the environment & provide more spaces for the community to use.