Improving nutrition for children/Educational and cultural support for children/Psychological care for children suffering from trauma

Program background

The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has sunk to an extremely low point due to the sanctions against the Palestinian Authority and the fragmentation of the Palestine. Especially in the Gaza strip, with continuing sanctions and the closure of the borders around the Gaza strip, the economic situation is becoming even more critical. In the West Bank, the separation wall divides the regions into enclaves particularly in the area around Jerusalem, and this hampers access to medical services and education for Palestinian people. JVC is providing nutritional, educational and cultural support for children; addressing problems that threaten peoples' lives such as the separation wall; and exploring the possibility of income generation in an impoverished economic situation. Moreover, we will try to build peace at grassroots level by analyzing and transmitting information through these activities.

Summary of activities

1. Support for improved nutrition for children

As the Gaza strip faces an economic crisis, 80% of the population is being forced to depend on food as-sistance from outside, and there is a fear of adverse effects on mental and physical development due to deficiency of nutrition for children. Since 2003, JVC has provided support for improved nutrition for children in the Gaza strip in partnership with international and local NGOs. JVC is providing iron en-riched milk and nutritional biscuits to children in kindergartens, and is monitoring children's nutritional situation and providing nutrition education to the children and their parents. In addition, the fact that JVC is using milk and biscuits produced locally for this project props up the deteriorating economic situation in this region.

In 2006 JVC supported 500 children in 5 kinder-gartens, and conducted comprehensive research on the nutrition situation of children.

In 2007, JVC continues to provide support for nutritional improvement for 500 children in 5 kindergartens by providing milk and biscuits, and especially to focus on nutrition education.

2. Supporting education and culture

In the Beit Jibrin refugee camp in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, the Handala cultural center was established in 1999 as a place where children can gather together. Ever since the center was opened, JVC has supported educational and cultural activities through the center, and also supported the activities of the women's group so that women can gain income by making and selling embroidery goods.

In 2006, JVC again supported a summer program which we have supported since 2003. The children freely and easily enjoyed the program despite the critical social conditions. As for the women's group, 15 members worked for the production of embroidery goods, and sometimes this supported their household economy as the only income source for the family under the critical economic situation in Palestine.

In 2007, JVC will support a summer camp as well as the activities of women's group, aiming that ultimately they can become independent and selfsufficient.

3. Psychological care for children suffering from trauma

It has been reported that over 90% of Palestinian children show symptoms of trauma. JVC has pro-vided support for children suffering from severe trauma by musical therapy and speech therapy through the Holy Child Programme (HCP), the only special school in the Bethlehem area.

In 2006, it became difficult to train personnel and to develop musical therapy and speech therapy, since specialists who were trained through the project moved outside the territory due to the deteriorating social conditions. However, care to children was continued and it produced a positive affect in that the children's expression of emotion was enriched. The care techniques which the staff of HCP learned through this program of support will be continued in HC

4. School health assistance in the Jerusalem area

The daily movements of Palestinian people has been extremely limited by the construction of the separation wall and settlements around Jerusalem area. This causes not only a deterioration of local economic conditions but also the paralysis of functions of local communities by hampering access to education and health services for local people. JVC provides health services to schools and kindergartens in the Jerusalem area by working together with a local medical NGO, and transmitting information on the problems and situation related to the separation wall which the International Court of Justice has is-sued an advisory opinion to the effect that it is illegal.

From July 2006, JVC started a mobile clinic project together with the local medical NGO "Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS)", and from October 2006, JVC shifted emphasis to health service work in schools in East Jerusalem. In 2007, JVC will continue providing health services to schools and kindergartens in the Jerusalem area with PMRS, and also we will continue transmitting information on problems from the standpoint of the local people.

5. Advocacy

As a member of an alliance of international NGOs as well as on its own, JVC assesses the situation of Palestine and transmits information. We intend to organize an opportunity to consider peace building by inviting clerics from Judaism, Islam and Christianity to Japan.