Thanks to a #PolishAid project, children from the Azzariah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem will enjoy a new outdoor playground. Jeel al Amal recently received a delegation from the Polish Representative Office and the Pontifical Mission for Palestine during work to renovate an outdoor playground. The renovation programme is being funded by Polish Aid and run in cooperation with the Pontifical Mission. In July of this year an agreement was signed between Sami El-Yousef, Regional Director of the Pontifical Mission Jerusalem and Aleksandra Bukowska-McCabe, Representative of the Republic of Poland in Ramallah, for a Polish Aid funded project. The main objective of the project “Renovation of the outdoor playground at Jeel al Amal in Azzariah in East Jerusalem” is to improve the educational opportunities for children from impoverished families by improving access to safe and educational playgrounds. The direct outcome of the project is a safe reconstructed outdoor play area for children attending the school and residing in the dormitories – a total of over 400 students between 3-16 years of age. Founded in 1972 by a Palestinian family as a social institution for the protection and welfare of children who had lost their families in the recent conflict, Jeel Al Amal (Generation of Hope) is an orphanage and co-educational school providing education to boys and girls from the Bethany area and surrounding villages. Currently, approximately 80 boys from poor, abusive or disadvantaged families board at Jeel Al Amal and are dependent on the institution for their food, clothing, educational supplies and medical care. The children are from Abu Dis and Azzariah - overcrowded and poverty ridden neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem which have been cut off from Jerusalem by the Separation Wall. In addition, this co-ed institution serves as a kindergarten and an elementary school (up to the sixth grade) for approximately 350 boys and girls from the area. The school is thus able to provide orphans with the opportunity to learn and interact with other children from the surrounding community to ensure their interaction and empowerment. The renovated playground will serve as a much needed outdoor educational facility for current pupils and additional students in the years to come. The project – implemented by the Pontifical Mission for Palestine – is underway and the renovation process has already started. A contractor, selected through an open bidding process, has prepared detailed plans for the playground and prepared the area for work (old playground equipment removed, surface taken off, ground levelled, building materials purchased). It is anticipated that the playground will be finished by the middle of October. While the renovation is taking place, the school administration is assisting the contractor in selecting the most appropriate outdoor equipment. Jeel Al Amal receives no government funding and since its establishment has been supported by different international donors, church-related organisations, individuals and friends of the institution. If you would like to know more about Jeel al Amal you can visit their website at jeelalamal.org
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:21:01 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015