Zahrat Al-Yasmeen Kindergarten
This November, children at Zahrat Al-Yasmeen Kindergarten enjoyed a vibrant month filled with learning, creativity, and hands-on experiences that supported their cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Inside the classroom, children strengthened their language, early literacy, and numeracy skills through interactive storytelling, drawing, counting games, and activities focused on letters, colors, and shapes. Creative expression was encouraged through painting, coloring, and illustrated stories, helping children build imagination and confidence.
Environmental learning was a key highlight this month. In collaboration with the Environmental Unit at Lajee Center, children took part in a paper-recycling activity, where they learned how to recycle old paper and later used it to create colorful autumn trees. They also prepared a healthy salad together, connecting nutrition with environmental awareness. In another sensory activity, children explored pomegranates by opening them, tasting them, and learning about the fruit through touch and observation.
Practical life skills were developed through cooking and hands-on activities. Children baked an apple cake together with one of the mothers, learning cooperation, responsibility, and basic cooking skills in a warm, shared experience.
Exploration and role-play were central to the month’s activities. Children participated in an “Occupations Day,” dressing up as the professions they dream of becoming in the future and engaging in role-play activities that encouraged self-expression and communication. They also took part in regular circus training sessions with the Circus School at Lajee Center, building balance, coordination, and self-confidence.
Educational visits enriched the children’s experiences, including a visit to the medical clinic to learn about health and doctors’ roles, and nature exploration activities where children observed animals in the garden and used microscopes. A special trip to Kremisan allowed children to explore nature, collect pinecones, and later color them back in the classroom, blending outdoor learning with creativity.
Lajee Music Institute
Throughout November, the Lajee Music Institute continued its regular music training sessions for all instruments, with close follow-up and guidance provided to students by their instructors. Choral rehearsals also continued for choir members, supporting vocal development, harmony, and collective performance skills.
As part of enriching students’ musical experience, a group of music unit participants attended a live orchestra performance by the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music at the Convention Palace. The visit gave students the opportunity to experience professional ensemble performance firsthand, deepening their understanding of orchestral music and inspiring them to develop their own musical skills.
Lajee Library
This month at Lajee Library, children enjoyed two engaging sessions in our educational play corner, focusing on drawing, coloring, and creative expression.
We also launched an exciting new art workshop with the talented artist Mohammed Al-Raie, where children learned how to illustrate a story. The course attracted 35 children within the target age group, and they participated in two special sessions with the artist, exploring creativity and storytelling through visual arts.
Health Unit
This month, the Health Unit at Lajee Center made remarkable strides in supporting the community’s well-being. Our health workers conducted 188 visits to patients with diabetes and high blood pressure across Aida and Azza camps, with some visits accompanied by Dr. Mohammad Abu Sarour.
A special milestone was the opening of the new medical clinic at Lajee Center, attended by local community representatives and women participants from the center. The clinic will provide essential medical services tailored to community needs. As part of our ongoing specialist visits, Orthopedic Doctor Mohammad Qattoush began seeing patients.
Environmental Unit
The Environmental Unit at Lajee Center kept busy this month with activities that combined sustainability, learning, and hands-on practice. Residents and environmental club students participated in maintaining and enhancing green spaces, including caring for plants on rooftops and inside the center, pruning tomatoes and cucumbers in our greenhouses, and adding fertilizers and iron to ensure healthy growth.
Our team distributed winter seedlings, including parsley, dill, pak choi, colored mustard, kale, and mizuna, encouraging families to cultivate their own produce. The harvest from our greenhouses, including tomatoes and cucumbers, was carefully collected and distributed to patients, while all 29 previously distributed water towers were successfully reactivated, and additional towers were provided to more families.
The Environmental Club also enjoyed a special environmental trail in Kremizan, which included a group breakfast and hands-on activities, integrating learning about plants and sustainable practices. Across Aida Camp, our team followed up on greenhouses built for families, providing guidance, maintenance, and support to help ensure successful harvests.
Thanks to these initiatives, five greenhouses are now fully operational, bringing fresh produce, environmental awareness, and community engagement together in one program.
Women’s Unit
During November, the Women’s Unit continued its regular embroidery sessions, where refugee women refined their skills, created beautiful pieces, and sold their embroidered items, turning their craftsmanship into a source of income.
In addition, the women prepared and sold homemade food, providing another avenue for economic support for families in the camp. These activities combined skill development with empowerment, fostering creativity, independence, and financial opportunity.
Lajee-Celtic Club and Academy
This month, the academy maintained its scheduled training sessions with strong commitment from players and coaches across all three age groups.
The 2015+ age group participated in activities with the European Academy, with players divided into three teams by age. Friendly matches were held between the academies, and Lajee Celtic players excelled, winning all five rounds.
The 2012–2014 age group joined a mini-league with the Salesian Academy, held over two weeks at the Salesian field. The results included one win, two draws, and one loss, offering valuable experience for the players.
For the 2011 and under group, players took part in several preparatory matches on large fields such as Al-Khader Stadium and medium fields like Beit Sahour, alongside teams including the European Academy, Mamoun Al-Khatib Academy, and Al-Ida’a & Excellence Academy in Dheisheh. These activities helped prepare players physically and mentally for future competitions.
The first team trained intensively across multiple fields and participated in friendly matches against professional local teams, including two matches against Wadi Al-Nis and two against Shabab Al-Obeidiyah, giving players the chance to compete at a high level.
Rebel Circus School
In November 2025, Lajee Circus School continued its weekly training sessions for all groups under the guidance of coach Anis from Spain. The month featured a special collaborative performance between the circus students and Dabka students, marking their first joint show attended by the students’ families. This activity highlighted the students’ creativity and teamwork while bringing the community together to celebrate their achievements.
Parenting Awareness Session at Lajee Center
This month, Lajee Center conducted an engaging awareness session dedicated to mothers, focusing on the stages of child growth and development. Part of our newly launched Women and Child Health program, the session aimed to strengthen mothers’ understanding of their children’s needs at different developmental stages, while providing a safe space for questions and sharing experiences.
During the session, mothers explored the physical, cognitive, language, and social aspects of child development. They also learned practical ways to support natural growth and create a healthy, safe home environment that nurtures their children’s overall development. The interactive discussions reflected the participants’ strong interest in acquiring knowledge to follow their children’s development in an informed and supportive way.
This session is part of our broader Women and Child Health program within the Health and Environment Unit, designed to monitor children’s growth, support family well-being, and provide holistic guidance to parents.
ACLAI-Palestine
This month at ACLAI-Palestine, our training programs welcomed 21 new female participants, bringing the total number of women involved in regular training sessions to 165. Additionally, 8 new male participants joined the men’s groups, increasing the total male participants to 71.
Our coaches have been actively engaged in skill-development workshops over the past few months. These included sessions on CBR (Community-Based Rehabilitation), first aid, and focused workshops tailored to gym coaching. Coaches learned the names of exercises, their target areas, and key coaching points to ensure safe and effective training. The current workshop, running until December 29th, focuses on teaching coaches how to design full training programs, equipping them with the skills to lead structured and impactful sessions.
In terms of gym activity, participants enjoyed 298 training sessions, with a total of 2,048 visits this month, reflecting the dedication and enthusiasm of both coaches and trainees.
Israeli Forces Occupy Lajee Center in Aida Camp
In November, Israeli forces raided the Lajee Center in Aida Camp, north of Bethlehem, and turned it into a closed military outpost, seizing all its facilities under the pretext of “securing Jewish holidays”.
The center’s administration was informed that the occupation and control of the building would last for two days, leading to the suspension of all work and activities during this period, affecting the programs and services for children and the local community.
