A Safe Place for Kids in Deheishe Refugee Camp

Great you’ve opened our newsletter again! This month we will introduce you to our youth program going on in Karama Organization in Deheishe camp. Every week, 14 years old eighth graders join us for two days at the Karama center. Here we hold a program to educate them and give them the space they so greatly need.

In Deheisha refugee camp in Palestine, there are not many places or activities for teenagers where they can go to spend their time. There is a lack of diversity in the available activities; if you compare a teenager in Europe with a teenager in the Palestinian refugee camps you will find the same high hopes and dreams on both sides but not enough platforms for the Palestinian teenagers to use. 

Here at Karama, we try to make ourselves a place for these teenagers where they can join us and put their energy to good use. This winter, we have developed a program of meetings two days a week with the teenage boys and girls. Our program aims to serve several needs that these youngsters have in their life.

First of all, the program continuously works with them on maintaining good education and study attitude. Them being students at the UNRWA schools, where classes can reach up to 40 students in each room, there is less time to address individual problems as the teachers focus more on work with the whole class. In the program, we provide extra classes, especially when midterm and final exams are in the planning. The students mostly request English and math teachers.

Secondly, one of the problems which a lot of teenagers face when they finish high school is choosing their next education, whether it be university, college or other courses. They have little knowledge of what is available but also about what they really love to do and what their skills and qualities are. Choosing a suitable education is a key in avoiding unemployment later on, which is a real concern with numbers of youth unemployment between 40% and 50% in Palestine. We included in our program workshops and training to help the group explore their university and job options, by help them know more about themselves; their interests, qualities, and skills. In addition, we organize educational field trips to hospitals, the court, and institutions to help them have a visual understanding of the job possibilities.

Recently we organized a trip to Maa'n lilhayat institution that works on economic empowerment of people with mental disabilities through handmade wool products. Both the residents of the institute and Karama’s teenagers introduced themselves and then worked together with the wool. Our teenagers said that it made them happy to join in on working with the wool and that they are happy to have been a part of putting a smile on their faces

This displays one of the last aims of the program. Raising responsible teenagers is one of the essential goals we work on. This means we try to enrich their belonging to Karama and each other, by requesting tasks from the teenagers in order to give them a sense of responsibility. This will help them in these crucial years into adulthood!

Thank you Bisan for making such an engaging program! And a big thanks to our donors we make it possible for Karama to organize such activities.