The Children Behind the Separation Wall

We Effect along with Economic Social Development Center (ESDC) work mainly in rural development areas in Palestine. In previous interventions with cooperative members, an issue that often arose was lack of early child care including finding care that addressed the child’s safety and their protection, especially in seam zone areas (Area C).The project has aimed to affirm children’s and their families right to physical, psychological and social well-being in rural areas adjacent to the separation wall in the West Bank. The project will target four communities, in or near Ramallah, Hebron and Qalqilya. 1. The project will contribute to the creation of four kindergartens, one in each community, through the enhancement of pre- existing local governmentally owned venues, based on children’s needs with green spaces in the targeted communities. In the targeted communities the project will also enhance four already existing multifunctional learning spaces (MFLS) and increase the exposure to green spaces for children’s health development (physically and mentally). 2. Complementary with the physical enhancement of spaces the project will contribute towards increased understanding and knowledge and sensitization among targeted communities, teachers, social workers, community/opinion leaders, parents and community members on children’s psychosocial health, child rights, child protection rights and environment. The targeted communities will also get an increased knowledge and awareness of environmentally sustainable solutions to promote children’s rights. 3. The project will contribute towards addressing children’s rights and protection rights among communities through awareness and an identified social protection support mechanism. This will be achieved by providing access to social protection through community-based protection mechanisms, training on child rights and child protection rights and awareness on children’s psychosocial wellbeing. The project will target the children and their families in the four communities. At least 8360 children (4180 girls and 4180 boys) will have access to safe and creative play and recreation facilities and will benefit from the social protection support mechanisms. At least 4500 adults (2456 women and 2044 men) will also be directly targeted in the project, with focus on child rights and child protection education and awareness of issues related to the protection of children from abuse and violation, as well as income generating activities. Indirectly, all the members in the four local community will benefit from the project, around 12,000 people (5000 girls, 5000 boys, 1000 women and 1000 men).