The culture and free thought - GAZA
THE CULTURE AND FREE THOUGHT - GAZA
The project
Name: Stress release and psychological support activities
Art as a tool for resistance
Main objectives: To empower the role of art in resistance among children
Main Objectives
To empower and support CFTA team at this time of crises in order to enable them to continue their work.
To find the space for stress release through verity of cultural activities that are targeting staff and children.
To support networking in the field of drama as thearapy, advocacy and documentation of issues related to war on Gaza.
To empower the role of art in resistance among children
Expected Results
- The team is empowered, strengthened and they will be better involved at the level of providing psycho-social support to children.
- Improvement on the quality of the psycho-social services delivered tot erh community
- 200 children will show increased creativity, analytical skills, and motivation
- 100 children and teenagers are empowered and are able to address and express their concerns.
- The community of Khan Younis is better informed of the impact of the art activities and it's positive affect on children.
- Means of art are developed at the community level are reflecting the voice of the community.
- Over 5000 of the community are exposed to CFTA's cultural activities and are encouraged to get involved.
- The violence among children is reduces
Planned Activities
1- Stress release on going program for staff
Psychologist or Drama Therapist will be nominated to work closely with 14 employees of CFTA in order to morally support them. CFTA will as well encourage and motivate the team by provide them with solutions to their problems faced in the field.
An intensive drama sessions will be implemented with the group over a period of 4 month to help them address their concerns and debrief them. Refreshment workshops and special entertainment activities will be organized to morally empower and support the team.
In cooperation with GCMHC, CFTA will organize for the staff to receive de-briefing and supervision if available by express visiting Gaza Strip.
1- Theater and use of drama
The Theater of Oppressed experience within CFTA witnessed major success over the years. A trained group of young men and women are leading the theater activities within CFTA. They are group of 6 volunteers in where CFTA provide them with the financial, technical and material resources and they in turn provide the community with art expression activities using means of drama and theater. .
The theater of oppressed is normally pick up one main issue that is locally intense and they produce drama around it. The drama is presented in two parts; the first part is to present the issue with out solution. The second part; is after 5 minutes break in which the leader of the play represent the drama again but asks the audience to interfere with what they think is the right action to be taken to solve the issue. Audience go actually on stage and re-perform what they think is the right solution.
The production in itself is not the aim of the activities, rather, the space and time given to people to enable them express themselves and get over their psychological problems.
2- Art and Hand Craft Exhibition
The art and hand craft work at CFTA is considered one of the most successful activities used to help children, teenagers and their families to work on groups, use art techniques to express themselves. Also the concentration required by this art is important at this time specially with the high tension which means that it will help participants in the different activities release their stress and feel positive about themselves.
3- Video Documentation and children signatures collection
CFTA by the help of youth volunteering and media professionals will produced one documentary video about the current war and its affect on children and women.
The children of the centers will launch a campaign to collect one million signature locally and world wide in order to take it forward in coordination with human right organization in order to bring Israel accountable after all war crimes and human right abuse during the war.
4- Children Literatures
Children from the centers will be working individually and as groups in order to write their own story tales which are going to be published by CFTA.
5- Trips for children and families
CFTA is planning to organize several trips to the children and their families specially in spring. Its important to mention here that most of children and their families do not have any chance to get out of Khan Younis because they either don’t have money for transportation or because of the social and security constrain.
Target groups:
The staff of CFTA: 26 educators directly working with children teenagers and youth at CFTA's different projects will benefit from debriefing and supervision activities provided by professionals.
Children between the ages of 6 to 12 from Khan Younis governorate
The project will target the children at devastating areas as well as children who are members of the creational centers of CFTA. Almost 3000 children will benefit from this project at the time of implementation.
All activities proposed within the frame of this project are aiming at providing psychological support to the community of the eastern areas of Khan Younis governorate
The teenagers at Bunat il Ghad center as well as other teenagers at devastated areas will be targeted.
The organization
Main
objectives:
Overall Strategic Goal:
- Educational, Cultural and Social issues for children and teenagers:
To improve the educational, cultural, social and psychological conditions of disadvantaged children and teenagers in refugee camps in the south Gaza Strip
- Women empowerment
To empower women through providing them with economical support, healthcare, legal and psychological assistance
- Capacity Building and Human Resources Development:
To advance the technical, administrative and managerial capacities of individuals and CBO's to respond effectively to community need
- Youth and Youth NGOs:
To develop youth and youth initiatives and enhance their participation within community
Advocacy:
To enhance the capacity and mobilize civil society members and CBO’s in the Gaza Strip to work effectively to reduce the impact of Israeli Occupation on children, women and youth.
Target groups of the organization
CFTA receives 2600 direct beneficiaries on monthly bases at all its locations in the Gaza Strip. 800 children, 900 women, 300 teenagers and 600 youth. Also CFTA is working on developing the capacity of 36 local NGO's and youth initiatives in the south of Gaza Strip. The indirect beneficiaries can reach up to 10000 people from the community through the different media programs, special events, emergency projects and exhibitions.
4.1 Children and Teenagers: 1200 children aged 6-16 years both gender from remote areas of Khan Younis governorate. 55% will be refugees and the rest from disadvantaged poor areas of the south. Around 30% have been exposed to domestic violence, and all have experienced first hand the conflicts in the Gaza Strip. A small number of the children will have been involved in working to support the family income.
4.2 Youth The target is to reach 600 youth who will participate and benefit from the services provided by organizations. These youth are from the most deprived in the socio-cultural context. Over 90% are unemployed and lack access to resources. All the targeted youth come from marginalized or deprived and poor communities with a number living under the poverty line, they are from both genders and some of them come under the special needs category.
4.3 Youth CBO's and initiatives CFTA will also target the CBO's and Youth initiatives that are working with youth who have a minimum of two years experience as youth leaders and/or volunteers, are based in the southern area of the Gaza Strip, guarantee gender equality and integration of people with special needs, aim at reducing poverty and are targeting youth as one category of the disadvantaged population. The selection criteria is based on motivated, well-connected to grassroots and accountable players that are also working on poverty reduction within their communities. CFTA will reach over 120 staff members and over 50 community mobilizers through working with 30 Youth CBO's in the south of Gaza Strip.
4.4 Women: Women of all age groups, including adolescents, with a special focus on marginalized and underprivileged young female of the refugee camps deprived areas, are among the targeted population of CFTA. Particular attention is paid to involving adolescents and youth. An average of 900 women attend CFTA’s different activities and projects on a daily basis.
Contact Information
Contact person: Majida Al Saqqa – Director of public relations
Phone number: 00 972 8 20 51 299
E-mail: cfta@palnet.com