Children Projects:
If you would like to know more about what we have done please visit : Karama's Archive
Since February 2003 Karama has rented a house in Deheishe in which activities and projects for children and adolescents are offered seven days a week. Here are some examples:
Creative workshops
The thought is to together with the children, make and decorate small match boxes. 
In the boxes we will put flower seeds typical for this region. We will sell the boxes to friends of Karama and the money will go towards material needed for future workshops for the children.
The boxes were donated and sent to me to bring with me in my luggage. They were without print, folded flat, and the bottoms un-glued so they would be easy for me to transport. I know that it took extra time for the man in Swedish Match to arrange that, and I want to thank him again for his kindness. I also want to thank the shops in my town that donated a lot of fine materials for these workshops. It is greatly appreciated and specifically so by the children, who get to dive in to the world of silk paper, glitter, gems and colour, and at the same time feeling both solidarity from others, as well as in a way taking an active part in Karama’s development.
Education and leadership program for Karama children
In Deheishe refugee camp the possibilities and offers is mostly intended for the children who are doing well in school and get high grades. This means that the "lower grade students" have less chances or no chances at all to take part in activities. This is why Karama decided to make a project for these students.
One stage of the program was, together with the teachers in the local school, to choose the students with the lowest grades. During a period of two years Karama made lessons for them that helped them in their study and which in the end helped these students to get higher grades. Some of these children turned out to surprise everyone because they suddenly got the highest grades in the classroom.
Another stage of the program: Karama helped 15 children who didn’t have the possibility to go to school. There can be many reasons for this, but an example is that one of the children has a father who is in prison and then he has to quit school to earn money to support his family. Karama help these children to follow their level in school by paying them a monthly salary for sitting in the classrooms instead of working in the streets. This year 6 of these children will take the highschool exams. We wish them good luck!
A third stage of the program was aimed at both boys and girls with social or academic problems. It could be that they are too affected by the Palestinian situation with the Israeli occupation, they can come from uneducated or illiterate families, or maybe they lost one or two of their parents. These circumstances can lead them to violent and loud behavior in school, which makes it difficult for the teachers to teach and this affects the other students.
In cooperation with the school Karama chose the most violent and noisy teenagers between 13 and 15 years. The school was warning Karama saying that it would be impossible to work with these teenagers, but Karama took the challenge and arranged a program. The program was held by 2 social workers who made eight workshops in one month. They were making lectures about leadership, how to trust others and let others trust in you. The teenagers were trained to lead workshops with small children. In the end they made a big festival which was led by the teenagers with help from the social workers. They made games and fun for around 180 small children. Karama also provided food for all the children. After the workshops and the festival the social workers kept in touch with the teenagers and held one meeting during the week. At school the teachers are now very satisfied with the behavior of these previously noisy and violent teenagers. The same program was accomplished in the girls' school and gave even better results!
The right to play
This program was held in two different kindergartens. In the first one 60 kids participated and two social workers from Karama was in charge. The children around the age of 5 from families with a bad economical background was offered an open day with games and fun. Karama arranged performances from clowns, the children made their own hats and there was music and a nice atmosphere. It was a day with funny activities for the small children of Deheishe. In the end Karama gave presents for all the children and offered them food.
Another day involved 236 children from kindergarten. Karama hired a special group that made theater for kids and there was also clowns. The children made drawings and paintings to express themselves. They were also given the chance to sing and the day was packed with games and competitions. At last Karama gave presents and toys for all the children
Computer
This organization provides a help to one hundred guy (boys and girls) in computer area through :
- elementary course to the boys and girls.
- internet for all.
first computer courses
The organization provides high courses to three of its volunteers in one of specialist in city. Through these employees and volunteers, the organization gives many courses of computers for two months to the members of the organization for both sex.
Nowadays the organization provides many courses as the following :
- course to boys and girls (10 -13 years old) with the part time teacher Rabab Marwan 4 hours a week.
- courses to 13 -15 years old students given by Rabab Marwan two and half 4.30 hours a week.
- as she give arbice language 6 hours aweek for differant levels to help with home works.
- course for woman to helpe the to get to know how to use the computer (three hours a week).
English language,
Karama educational project gives more concern at English to establish and develop the pupils skills by giving them a lot of extra courses as:
- the kids: to establish their abilities by the volunteers "Tamer al-Khomour. Jessica Paul.
- courses to the basic stage by Tamer . Jessica, Beia and Hannah.
- courses for women .
Preventive 2005/2006
Direction and Advice
The workshops address the changes in the life of adolescents and raises awareness in families of various problems that can arise.
Since Junuary 2006 karama has run Teenage Stage Workshops. It is a workshop that is held by psychologist Sharly Zidan. This workshop helps the teenagers and adults to meet twice a month to be able to discuss the many changes and the possible effects that affect them mentally, socially and emotionally during this period of their life. After having had discussions about various topics concerning them, they will be divided into small groups. Each group will discuss the issues that were most urgent in that specific group. Then each person, individually, writes about thoughts and issues they feel need to be dealt with or discussed more. This gives each person the opportunity to reflect on a deeper level of how they function and how to express their feelings in words. Again, the aim is to work with communication and build understanding and respect for the feelings and integrity of the adolescent as well as adults.
Karama's Summeracademy 2005
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From June 29th until July 12th 2005 48 youth in the age of 14 to 17 years and 7 supervisors have taken part in Karama’s 3rd Summer Academy in an outdoor area in Doha, nearby Bethlehem. Originally set for 10 days we have extended its duration up to 13 days at the participants’ own request.
Every day from around 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. the youth were joining regularly a workshop of their own choice (Art & Culture –, Environment & Health –, Children Rights – or Media – workshop). In that 2hour period, each group was dealing in different ways and meanings with the academy’s motto “Children’s Rights”. Besides several lectures working on our this year’s motto were hold for all together. In our daily shedule we also allowed for further common activities like sports, musics and games.
Sometimes all academicians or single groups were visiting other institutions and places as part of the workshop programms and to discover the nearby environment. In general we got a colourful program done offering the participants a good balance between working phase and meaningful freetime. A final celebration in Karama’s centre, where every work group has presented their results, has rounded off our successful Summer Academy.
Our Summer Academy was funded by:
The Federal Reoublic of Germany, represented by the Fedreral Minister for Foreign Affairs.
There are more photos from Karama’s 3rd Summer Academy
Infant's Afternoon
Especially children suffer from the circumstances of the life in a refugee camp. In Deheishe there are neither play- and sports grounds, public kindergardens nor other offers taking special care for them. Since approximately 80% of Deheishe's adults are unemployed, most of the families cannot afford toys or even painting equipment, which usually helps especially little children to improve and aquire skills and learning processes.
For that reason older Karama-Kids are organizing regularly an "Infant's Afternoon". Every Friday they invite little children in the age of 4 to 6 years in our centre where both youth and infants play, sing, dance and paint. For that purpose Karama has bought some toys. Even simple toys like blocks, toy cars and coloured pens present something special for the majority of Deheishe's children, as Karama's "Infant's Afternoon" provide them the only occasion to play with those things.
Moreover the Karama-Youth think about special activities with that they can bring a delight for their little guests. Like this they have thought out dances, ordered cartoons and given little lessons, where infants have learned Arabic and English numbers for the first time.
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Karama - Newspaper
In November 26 th 2004 the Karama-kids published their own newspaper for the first time. In advance nine girls and boys have founded an editing, that takes the responsibility of the layout, contents as well as of the publication and management of the magazin.
Every child or adolescent of the centre has the possibility to make its own contributions to it. Among other things they write artikels by themselves and research in the internet to find interesting stories, poems and informations.
Besides for each edition the Karama-administration will prepare a quiz. Everyone - also the Karama-kids - is allowed to answer the question and can win a little prize.
Monthly a new edition of the newspaper will be published which the Karama-kids hand out to the students in Deheishe and Bethlehem.
Assistance lesson for students of the University
In Deheishe there are a lot of young people studying at the Open University in Bethlehem . Some of them are going to work at the same time to earn money for their families. That is why those students are not able to join the open lectures regularly. In the evening after work, they try to catch up on the subjects which often prove to be difficulty without the help of others.
Wa'el, a Karama-volunteer giving already Mathmatics lessons for boys and girls now also offers assistance lessons in Analyse and Mathmatic management for the students of his study year. In a period of several months he will prepare two groups of young men for their final examinations 3 - 4 times a week.
Wall-Painting project
Karama arranged in cooperation with the Christian Organisation Dar Annadwa for six Karama-Boys the participation in a Wall-painting project, organised by Al Quds - University. In October 2004 the boys painted in a teamwork together with international artists and volunteers some parts of the Seperation Wall surrounding the West Bank and even deviding regions of the Palestinian occupated territories.
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The project gave the boys a chance to express their general feelings, above all their feelings against the wall which they have to stare at every day. Within just a few days many different pictures and messages were created which are addressed not only to the Palestinians but also to the international community to achieve their attention for the Palestinian daily suffering.
Dabka workshop
A group of our Karama - Kids has formed to learn and practice the traditional Arabic Dabka-dance. Several times a week both boys and girls meet in the centre to be taught and leaded by one boy out of the group. While they are practicing many of the other Karama children are watching them impressely and listening enjoyed the Arabic sounds of music.
Theater workshop
Beate and Hannah, two German volunteers, have offered in September/ Octobre 2004 a theater - workshop for girls in the age between 12 and 16 years. About 3 weeks, the group was introduced several times a week in modern and different methods of playing theater. By means of games and moving - practices the girls got to know new possibilities to express themselves and how to create scenes and pictures. Their abstract and creative thinking was demanded as well as their ability to improvise. On Octobre 14 th the girls presented the results of their hard work in a Deheishe youth- club. It was a very successful and impressiv performance with dance, music and playing scenes.
In Juni 2003, Karama initiated a cultural project that aims to describe the camp from our children's point of view. This project will soon end with an exhibition of photos, drawings and paintings made by the children. The cultural project aims to teach others about the experiences, thoughts and feelings of Palestinian refugee children. It is a creative way to stimulate children to tackle their history and present time. See some of the pictures here.
Since February 2003, Karama's chess club is open four days a week. By offering this activity we take the children away from the streets and, in a simple way, offer them alternative activities that will ameliorate their intellectual capacities. As in most of Karama's projects, the idea is to offer activities that both teach the participants useful things and serve as an alternative to violence.
One of the worst effects of the occupation is that the Palestinian's freedom of movement is restricted severly. Often it is impossible to leave the refugee camp, let alone the Bethlehem area. If there is a curfew, people are forced to stay in their houses, sometimes for days. Once again, children are suffering to the greatest extend from this terrible situation. Because of that, Karama regularly organizes trips - whenever circumstances admit this - to the greater surroundings of the camp in order to familiarize them with the country and the nature they live in as well as to meet their need for movement.Karama has already organized several trips; two examples are given in the following paragraph:
On a Thursday in July our children were live on TV. The local Palestinian SH-TV made a 2 hour live broadcast about Karama children. The children talked about the organization and they were singing songs in front of the camera.
