And we will return…
It has been 76 years since our ongoing Nakba began. For 76 years, the bloodshed has not ceased, as the apartheid regime intensifies its ethnic cleansing and genocidal warfare, displacing us. Yet, we persist through resistance and resilience, holding onto hope for the day we reclaim our 27,009 square kilometres of Palestine, home to over 14 million Palestinians.
For millennia, Gaza has been a bastion of resistance against colonial regimes, earning its reputation as the graveyard of invaders. It remains a place where only the rightful inhabitants belong.
Lajee-Celtic
After a long hiatus, the Lajee-Celtic Team has resumed training activities, gearing up for their upcoming journey to South Africa in June and July 2024. Additionally, the academy and its young members continued regular training sessions throughout May, engaging in sports activities and games.
Health Unit
The main activities of the health unit this month included:
- Community health workers made 140 visits to patients suffering from chronic diseases (hypertension and diabetes), totalling 128 patients from Aida and Al-Azza camps.
- During these home visits, health workers checked blood pressure, blood sugar, and other vital signs, ensuring patients are taking medications correctly and on schedule as per their individual plans. They provided continuous follow-up, monitored their dietary regimen, and offered attentive listening, sometimes extending visits to an hour or more. This was particularly crucial during the Gaza war period, which impacted patients psychologically, socially, and economically. Patients with previous health emergencies received intensified monitoring and occasional adjustments to their medications, along with personalized programs to improve their conditions.
- Each level 2 and 1 patient with hypertension and diabetes received two visits, while level 3 patients received one visit this month. Efforts focused on managing their conditions through necessary medications, dietary adjustments, and encouraging participation in sports at Lajee gym. Visits also included psychological support alongside health monitoring.
- Handling an emergency case in Aida camp and providing initial emergency care.
- Continuing visits with occupational therapy students from Bethlehem University for disabled individuals in Aida and Al-Azza camps.
- Conducting a free medical day with specialized doctors in orthopaedics, ophthalmology, and urology, attended by a large crowd of approximately 160 people from Aida and Al-Azza camps and from Bethlehem area. The day included free distribution of medications according to prescriptions provided by attending doctors. Click here to see a video from the free medical day.
Environmental Unit
The main tasks in the environmental unit for this month included:
- Harvesting green leafy crops such as Swiss chard, parsley, and mint and distributing them to patients.
- Planting hydroponic systems with summer crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, Swiss chard, zucchini, radishes, and beans, as well as parsley.
- Monitoring and controlling water towers after distribution to patients, and adding fertilizer to crops.
- Planting parsley seeds for hydroponic systems and distributing some to patients for planting in their own hydroponic towers.
- Preparation and planting of the new greenhouse installed on the roof of the Health and Environment unit’s affiliated house, serving patients with hypertension and diabetes.
- Distributing mint seedlings to participating women in the patients’ unit.
- Screening a national Palestinian video and discussing ongoing Nakba events with environmental club students, hosted by a senior who experienced the 1948 Nakba.
- Organizing recreational activities with environmental club students, preparing burgers and adding small microgreens grown with the Environment unit to sandwiches served to students.
- Planting roses on the Lajee Center’s rooftop.
The Library
The primary activities in the library unit this month included:
3 May: Educational and recreational games and activities for a group of children, encouraging them to play together, respect others, and assigning roles to each child. These games aimed at strengthening their memory and critical thinking. The session was engaging, allowing some children to actively participate and develop their personalities through these meetings.
10 May: Discussion of a story titled ‘Grandpa,’ talking about grandparents and the activities children do with their grandparents at home. We then narrated the story and learned more about the grandparents of the children present. Afterward, we did a family tree activity to introduce the children to it. There was great enthusiasm among the children to learn about and create their family trees.
17 May: Screening of a film about Palestinian cities and discussion of their historical and religious sites. This led to a discussion about Palestinian villages, where each child learned about their original village. Then, the children were introduced to the concept of the Nakba. We also did an activity locating Palestinian cities on a map of Palestine to deepen their understanding.
Lajee Music Institute
The primary activities in the music unit this month included:
2 May: The first musical performance by the students of Lajee Music Institute in front of parents, where all students participated in playing pieces they learned during this period. The choir group also performed two songs. This initiative aims to encourage students to be more committed to the program and to showcase their efforts to their parents. Click here to see a video from the event.
22-23 May: Lajee Music Institute conducted musical and vocal workshops for the third and fourth grade students at Aida Girls School.
Zahrat al-Yasmeen Kindergarten
On May 28, twenty-five students graduated from KG2 in the presence of their parents, teachers, and friends. The students from KG1 and KG2 performed several poems, songs, plays, and dabkeh dances. Certificates were distributed to the graduating students at the end of the ceremony.
Lajee Media Unit
Lajee Center participated in honouring the winners of the photography competition at Aida Girls’ School. The Media Unit at Lajee Center had provided courses and workshops in theoretical and practical photography education for a number of students, preparing them for participation in the competition held at the Bethlehem Governorate level.
Thanks to joint efforts and intensive training, Aida Girls’ School succeeded in securing first place in the competition.
