Lebanon: Women’s Empowerment & Children’s Development 2010-2011

This project aims to assist the Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon with family support services.

Project funding: AUD$100,000
Partner: Women's Humanitarian Organisation (WHO)
Timeframe: July 2010-June 2011

Project summary
The Palestinian refugee community in Lebanon numbers more than 420,000 (source: UNRWA) and has been in exile for 61 years. More than half of this population live in the 12 official United Nations-established refugee camps throughout Lebanon. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon do not have social and civil rights, have limited access to government health and education facilities, and no access to public social services. Palestinians are considered foreigners in Lebanon and are forbidden to work in more than 70 trades and professions; consequently, employment and work opportunities are extremely limited.

This project aims to assist the Palestinian refugee community with family support services in an effort to reduce the daily stresses and tensions in the family home. The project will work in two refugee camps - Bourj al-Barajneh and Shatila, both located in Beirut.

Project funding
Total project funding for 2010-11 is A$100,000. The project is supported by two Australian unions - the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union (CFMEU) and the Liquor, Hospitality & Miscellaneous Workers Union (LHMU) - as well as with funding from the Australian government (AusAID).

Project objectives and activities

1. To provide quality early education for Palestinian refugee children in Bourj al-Barajneh refugee camp: the successful WHO Early Education Centre in this camp will support 120 infants and children aged 0-6 years by providing nursery care for infants and quality early education for young children. This centre is designed to support working mothers by allowing them to continue their jobs or undertake skills courses while their children are being cared for in the centre.

2. Establish infants and children play groups in Shatila refugee camp: this activity involves establishing afternoon play groups for children and infants in order to give working women some free time after work so they can continue their study or do their home duties, which assists in reducing their daily stresses as working women. Infants and children will be able to play in a safe and supervised place under professional care.

3. Empower women through small-scale skills building courses and structured workshops on psychosocial issues: this activity will provide women in Bourj al-Barajneh and Shatila camps with skills which they can use to get work in local factories or by working at home. Small-scale skills training courses will be conducted in making curtains and household linen, repairing clothes and shoes, babysitting, caring for sick people at home, gift design, flower arrangement and herbal therapies. Herbal medicines and therapies are currently very popular as an alternative to regular medicines, however most women do not fully understand the side-effects of the herbal therapies they use to manage their illness. Following on from successful courses held in Bourj al-Barajneh camp, this project will provide herbal therapy courses for women in Shatila camp. This project will also provide structured workshops on psychosocial issues concerning non-violent communication skills. Unfortunately, violence is a constant presence in the camps as people suffer constant stress and socio-economic hardships. Training and awareness-raising workshops will be provided for women to improve their ability to communicate with their children and families in non-violent ways.

4. Provide Palestinian children with materials and resources to enhance their psychosocial development: this activity is designed to assist Palestinian children aged 5-12 years by providing them a space for creative expression activity. This activity promotes the psychosocial development of Palestinian children by engaging them in creative expression, such as photography, internet skills, painting and art. This provides an opportunity for children to find alternatives through which they can relate their experiences in the camp to others.

This project continues Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA's long-term program of support with Palestinian refugees in Lebanon (see project history).

You can support this work in the Middle East by becoming a donor today.

© Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA 2003.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 13-Oct-2010 13:50:52 EST
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