Peace Building support at a grass roots level
Health Education / Nutrition Support for Children / Income Generation Program / Educational and Cultural Support / Peace Making and Peace Building / Advocacy

Program background

The closure of the Gaza Strip has been intensified by the restricted movement of personnel and goods, and this closure caused a shortage of foods, electricity and other essential resources for survival. No material for reconstruction was sufficiently carried into Gaza after the mass offensive in the late 2008. In the West Bank the access to health is limited by the “Separation Wall” constructed by Israel, and the Palestinian’s land is being decoupled by the Wall, which devastated the society. The situation in East Jerusalem is still under pressure and tension due to the house demolition and the construction of settlements which are severely criticized by the international community.

Summary of activities

(1)Support for improved nutrition for children

In the Gaza Strip the malnutrition children are one of the most vulnerable members of the society as more than 90% of the Gazans live under the poverty line.

2009 Annual Report

1. Preventing the malnutrition by distributing fortified milk and biscuits
JVC provided iron enriched milk and biscuits in preschools 6 days a week every week with a cooperation with international and local NGOs. This year JVC was in charge of 320 children in 4 preschools in Gaza. In addition the fact that JVC is using milk and biscuits produced locally for this project propped up the deteriorating economic situation in this region. Also, JVC provided trainings for mothers and teachers in order for them to protect and improve their children’s health.

2. Supporting the treatment of malnutrition babies through therapeutic foods
JVC provides therapeutic foods in a nutrition center for malnutrition children. JVC focused on the distribution of dry food package for families who are suffered from the shortage of foods in the household. JVC also provided trainings for mothers to cook nutrition-rich dishes in their house.

2010 Annual Plan

JVC will continue aforementioned activities until September 2010. We will start a trial poultry project so that families can improve child’s nutrition status at a household level.

(2)School health assistance in the Jerusalem area

2009 Annual Report

Israel has already constructed the separation wall of more than 400km in Jerusalem and the West Bank in the name of “protection of Israeli nationals from terrorists”. The access to health facilities for the Palestinian people became very limited, and their community became torn apart in this area due to the construction of separation wall and settlements.

JVC cooperated with a Palestinian NGO to provide mobile clinic, health check-ups and health education. This year our beneficiaries numbered 27,000 people in 150 places.

2010 Annual Plan

JVC will continue the present activities, and we will make training sessions for trainers so that these trainers can provide trainings for the others in their community.

(3)Income generation for women through embroidery production

2009 Annual Report

JVC is supporting a women’s project which generates income through the traditional embroidery skill. JVC bought these products and sold them in Japan, and JVC supported the empowerment of group’s management. Also, JVC participated in some activities of corporative associations in villages near Ramallah area to seek for a possibility of a new project.

2010 Annual Plan

JVC will support the women’s group so that they can control their management of products. We will continue to make a research on the corporative activities near Ramallah.

(4)Peace-building from grass-roots

2009 Annual Report

Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem live under a situation where their social spaces are quite separated, and they both cannot trust each other. A local NGO is trying to build peace at a grass-root level by making a common space for both women to talk. JVC supported this activity.

2010 Annual Plan

JVC will continue to support the local people’s effort for peace-building through this activity.