Volunteer Work Day
In a spirit of community and teamwork, the Lajee Center organized a volunteer work day on Wednesday, October 23. This event included a diverse program of activities designed to enhance both indoor and rooftop spaces. The day’s tasks included cleaning, planting flower pots, pruning mint plants, clearing dead leaves, and painting and securing chairs.
To ensure efficiency, employees were divided into four groups, each assigned specific tasks:
– Group 1: Painted and secured chairs.
– Group 2: Pruned mint plants and cleaned tree basins.
– Group 3: Cleaned and planted rooftop pots.
– Group 4: Managed indoor pot cleaning and planting.
Starting at 12:30 PM, all participants worked diligently and with enthusiasm, creating a lively and collaborative atmosphere. Employees who finished early helped other groups, resulting in a smoothly coordinated effort. By the end of the day, all tasks were completed, and the team came together to organize and clean the rooftop and center. This successful event underscored the dedication of the Lajee Center team, leaving the center refreshed and revitalized.
Fitness and Nutrition for Patients
The “Fitness and Nutrition” project is a collaborative initiative between the Health Unit and ACLAI-Palestine Gym at Lajee Center. The project focuses on a group of patients with chronic diseases from the Aida and Al-Azza refugee camps, as well as women at risk of developing chronic diseases due to various factors such as genetics, insulin resistance, and other health issues. The goal of the project is to improve public health through physical fitness and healthy nutrition within a comprehensive program, which will run from November 2024 for a year.
The first meeting took place on 27/10/2024 at Lajee Center, with 20 women from the Aida and Al-Azza camps attending. The session began with an introduction to the fitness and nutrition program through a presentation. During the meeting, the importance of commitment to a personalized diet and exercise plan was emphasized. Each woman’s health situation will be assessed after six weeks of the program to monitor changes in overall health.
The session also included a psychological support part, led by a social worker who discussed the pressures of life and stress management through psychological activities.
Zahrat Al-Yasmeen Kindergarten
In October, Zahrat Al-Yasmeen Kindergarten focused on creating a nurturing and educational environment for the children, despite the psychological challenges left by the war. The kindergarten team, composed of capable and dedicated teachers, worked hard to ensure that the children could continue their education while fostering an atmosphere of love, hope, and resilience. The children’s activities were designed to encourage learning through play, exploration, and the development of social and emotional skills.
One of the highlights of the month was a special activity focused on olives, a significant part of Palestinian culture. The children participated in olive picking, learning about the importance of olives in our lives and the various benefits they provide, such as olive oil, olive seeds, and soap. They also explored the five senses by discussing how we taste, touch, see, and smell olives, connecting the topic to their monthly theme.
In addition to olive picking, the children were introduced to the process of pressing olives to make oil. They learned about the tools used in olive pressing, such as the ladder, bucket, and mat, and even had the opportunity to press olives themselves.
The kindergarten also celebrated Palestinian heritage with a special “Heritage Day,” where the children prepared a traditional Palestinian dish, mujaddara, which includes olive oil as a key ingredient. This event not only taught the children about Palestinian food culture but also reinforced the significance of olive oil in their daily lives.
The children also took part in a gardening activity, where they learned about planting seeds and seedlings with the help of Majd from the Environmental Unit. They learned about the tools and methods of planting and then planted beans, onions, and garlic in the garden.
A medical day was organized to check the children’s eye health, ensuring their well-being and giving parents peace of mind about their children’s vision.
Additionally, the children participated in a sensory activity to learn about the five senses, enhancing their understanding of how they perceive the world around them.
Through these activities, the kindergarten team was able to create a safe and supportive space for the children, enabling them to enjoy their childhood while learning, playing, and growing emotionally and socially.
Lajee Library
As part of the library’s activities for this month, there was a reading and presentation of the story “The Little Lantern” by Ghassan Kanafani, which was explained to the children. The story was presented through a narrated YouTube video and discussed with the children, including its content. The concept of the lantern, its parts, when it was used, and the events of the story were explained to the children. Afterward, the children drew and colored the queen’s crown and the lantern.
There was also an activity involving a cartoon film for children about Dagmar, the dancing mosquito, and Egon, who is busy exploring the world on his bicycle, as well as the ants and butterflies. After watching, each child colored the insect they chose from the film.
Creative Writing
The creative writing workshop continued with both groups, where we now have a part of the story, including the introduction, events, and characters, and we are developing the text with the children.
The Palestinian Children’s Council
This month there was a training course on community participation and initiative building for the regional council members of the Palestinian Children’s Council with the Global Movement for the Defense of Children. The meeting with the children of Bethlehem and Hebron lasted for two days.
Health Unit
This month, the community health workers made 168 visits to different patients suffering from chronic diseases (hypertension and diabetes), totaling 129 patients from the Aida and Al-Azza refugee camps.
During these home visits, health workers check blood pressure, blood sugar, and other vital signs such as oxygen levels, heart rate, and ensure that medications are taken correctly and on time according to the plan made with Dr. Mohammed and Dr. Henry.
The number of visits for each Level 1 patient (hypertension and diabetes) is intensified, with one visit every week during the month.
Activities have started with the UNRWA Beit Jala Girls’ Primary School. The first activity involved breaking down barriers between the health workers and the 8th-grade female students, aged 13. It also included introducing Lajee Center and its programs, the Health and Environmental Unit, and choosing a number of students to join the environmental club.
Environment Unit
- Harvesting cucumber and parsley crops and distributing them to patients.
- Daily monitoring of water levels, acidity, and ensuring adequate nutrients in each hydroponic system.
- Monitoring the water towers after distributing them to patients, adding fertilizer to crops, and repairing motors in need of maintenance.
- Planting garlic and onions in two of the water towers after removing the parsley and distributing it to patients.
- Planting spinach seeds in a water tower.
- Starting seed trays for lettuce and strawberry seeds.
- Planting garlic in the NFT system in the first greenhouse and onions in the NFT Table system.
- Planting broccoli in the Dutch bucket system in the first greenhouse after thorough cleaning and disinfection.
- Working in the third greenhouse at Abu Sha’irah house, disinfecting it and monitoring the crops inside.
- Starting the weekly meetings and gatherings with the Environmental Club at Lajee Center. At the first meeting of the month we discussed important rules, planned environmental activities, and emphasized the importance of commitment. New members joined the Environmental Club, bringing the total to 20 students.
Women’s Unit
On 9 October, a meeting of the Women’s Unit was held with the attendance of 9 women. The meeting focused on continuing the preparation for the Palestinian cookbook, featuring recipes from the women in the unit. The meeting included two Palestinian dishes: okra and rashta (traditional Palestinian dishes).
On 30 October, another meeting of the Women’s Unit took place with the attendance of 10 women. The meeting continued with the preparation for the Palestinian cookbook, including additional recipes from the women in the unit, such as stuffed grape leaves (warak enab) and zalabia.
Rebel Circus School
In October, the Circus School continued its activities with a total of 54 students divided into three new groups and one old group, making a total of four groups. Most of the training focused on aerial skills. The experienced circus students played an essential role in assisting with the training, with each student taking on a leadership role during the sessions to help guide and support their peers. This collaborative approach allowed the students to build their skills while also learning from one another, fostering a strong sense of teamwork and personal growth.
Media Unit
The Media Unit at Lajee Center has launched a series of educational meetings and lectures on the topic of “photography,” targeting a group of students from Aida Girls’ Primary School. The first session of this series was held, where the students were introduced to the basics of photography and camera techniques.
This initiative aims to develop the students’ skills in photography, enhance their creativity, and empower them to use photography as a means of expression and documentation. The series includes several sessions that will cover topics such as lighting, composition, and the fundamentals of narrative photography.
The students expressed their excitement for this opportunity, which allows them to explore a new field and acquire skills that could be the key to future creativity.
