The «Zawaya» initiative concludes

The Palestinian Association for Development and Heritage Protection completed the events of the initiative “Zawaya” as a second stage of the training camp (We Live by Hope), in partnership with Pal-Think for Strategic Studies and FXB, within the activities of the project “Restoring hope to the youth and children of Gaza”

The initiative targeted the children and fragile mothers who were subjected to excessive violence during the latest war on Gaza. Several activities were carried out with the participation of the cadre of young women and men who received training through the initiative's training camp. The initiative comprised three days of different activities and events in open and distinctive places, such as the institution's garden and the open theatre in Beit Lahiya and the Little Gazelles kindergarten in Beit Hanoun — which had a positive and effective effect in releasing the negative energy and psychological pressure to which the children and mothers had been subjected. The initiative's coordinator, Ms Basma Ibrahim, affirmed the importance of bringing happiness and recreation to the children and mothers and working to offer them psychological support after their facing conflicts, catastrophes, and negative events in their lives; as well as building their capacities and enabling them to obtain the services of education and health as humanitarian services necessary for building their future and their right to a calm life and the achievement of civil peace. She likewise affirmed the role of volunteer youth in carrying out these activities with society's institutions, they being the leaders of the future and the model for the coming generations of children. Accordingly she made clear the importance of this initiative's launch and the care to focus on the recreational activities — drawing, colouring murals, the large puppets, popular dabke numbers, and the puppet theatre for documenting Palestine's national heritage, and also cultural competitions and literary numbers of poetry and songs — which reflected positively on achieving joy and the spirit of happiness in the children and mothers and changing their view toward a near, positive, happier future; as well as honing the youth's capacities and skills in contact and communication, the art of leadership, and collective work in a team spirit and with high self-confidence — gaining them successful life skills that enable them to communicate positively and take a leading role in their communities, and thereby supporting the children's category to build generations qualified to live with hope and positive energies and to develop constructive, lively conduct full of ambition.