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At
Zbeidat village in Jordan Valley:
The
European Union and Sharek Youth Forum Concluded Europe Day Celebrations
Today
the European Union and Sharek Youth Forum celebrated the conclusion of
"Illuminate the Sky", a kids fund activity that was organized in eight
Palestinian villages and refugee camps in the West Bank to celebrate
Europe Day 2010 commemorating the 60th anniversary of the
declaration that led to the creation of the European Union. More than
1,500 children and 150 volunteers had participated in this activity that
toured the West Bank starting from First Ramallah Group on the 9th
of May to Halhoul, Dheisheh camp, Al Khadeer town, Jalazoun camp, Kufr
Nima village, Aqbat Jaber camp, and finally to Zbeidat in the Jordan
valley where a closing ceremony was attended by representatives from the
EU and the civil society and the Sharek Forum’s volunteers and Zbeidat
Youth Club cadres.
These
events and activities are also part of the first phase of the summer
activities that are being implemented by Sharek Forum through Bridges (Jousour)
Project that aims to improve the educational and social medium of
children and youths towards providing a safe and appropriate environment
for the children through extracurricular and recreational activities
that merge with education through music.
The
European Union Representative, Christian Berger, expressed gratitude to
the people of Zbeidat for the warm reception and explained that main aim
of this activity was to provide opportunities for Palestinian children
in marginalized areas to enjoy their lives and their childhood through
interactive activities. Mr. Berger added "Being here today, we affirm
that rural areas are also in the centre of our attention and thus we
will continue our support through infrastructure and capacity building
projects to serve these communities and contribute to improving the
living conditions of the local population.
From
his side, Bader Zamareh, Executive Manager of Sharek Forum, said "Sharek
seeks to contribute through this activity -Illuminate the sky- that was
implemented with the EU support in the West Bank, toward meeting the
needs of children who live in refugee camps and marginalized communities
through a series of activities that combine fun and music with
educational and cultural dimensions. Thus, the project aims to build the
capacities of children and entertain them through creating an atmosphere
of fun and joy. It also aims to educate the children and make them use
their free time in a useful manner."
Zamareh
added that the project targeted children from the age group 8-12, where
100-250 child participated in each location; he explained that the
activities included a live interactive musical performance by Omar al-Jallad,
drawing, face-painting, sports and competitions.
Salameh
Zbeidat, Representative of Zbeidat Youth Club, said that he hopes that
the participation of children and youths in this event and in Jousour
Project would develop the academic and social skills of children and
youths, explaining that these activities are considered as some kind of
psychological expression of the children on their right to live freely.
He also thanked the EU Representative for his visit and called for more
support for the marginalized communities.
During
the event, the EU Representative held a meeting with the local community
representatives who briefed him on the challenges and difficulties that
the people face in Zbeidat particularly and in Jordan valley area in
general. At the end of the event, a tour in the village was organized
where the community representatives explained the needs of the village.
For
further information:
Sharek
Youth Forum West Bank,
Management and Activities Center Ramallah, Al-Tireh Street, Ramallah,
Telephone: 00970 – 2 – 2967741 / 00970 – 2 – 2975487
Fax:
00972 – 2 – 2967742
Email:
info@sharek.ps |
