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Nawa for Culture and Arts Association (NAWA) has launched a group of cultural, artistic, recreational courses and activities for the children, youths, their parents as well as the children under six year old. This new activities calendar bear the name of “I am a Human” where the name has come from the first Arabic book of children in the human rights. The winter season activities for 2019 come to promote human rights in general and children’s rights in particular, and to enhance the human rights based approach which is one of NAWA strategic cross-cutting issues .

In addition, the activities aim at widening the children the children’s cultural, cognitive and intellectual horizons, entertaining them, and investing their winter vacations in a useful and enjoyable ways. Among the most important courses and cultural activities carried out at NAWA Cultural Center: the “House of Theater and Tales”, the “Little Librarian”, while the artistic activities and courses include: “Watercolors”, “3 Colors”, and “Texture” courses.

In regards Al Khidr Library for Children, it carried out the following cultural courses: “Information Literacy and Information Science” and “Book Club” while NAWA Playgrounds implements the following course “Environmental Flashes” which aim at raising the children awareness on various environmental topics.

In addition to the above, NAWA Gallery carries out a number of scientific courses and activities in which children discover some of the scientific topics through experimentation and application. These courses include: “Look and Explore” and “Let’s Try.” The winter season activities lasted for two weeks in the period between 06 January 2019 and 20 January 2019.

NAWA six centers witnessed notable response in the courses and activities in the winter season activities. Dana Al Ashaal, 9, said, “I registered my child in ” House of Theater and Tales” at NAWA Cultural Center. She has selected this activity herself, and I feel reassured to participate in the activities of NAWA which develops her skills and helps me to discover their interests.

“I like the drama sessions that take place at the NAWA Center because they made me love acting and playing roles,” said 10-year-old Alia Yusuf. Aya Khalaf, 12, said, “I have been eagerly awaiting the start of the winter activities to participate in the activities of the Children’s Library, where I have heard about them through my classmates and friends at school.”

The winter season activities are carried out in the following centers: NAWA Cultural Center, Al Khidr Library for Children, NAWA Playgrounds, NAWA Gallery, and the Evry Play Library in cooperation with Bread for the World Foundation, Drosos Foundation, the  General French Consulate in Jerusalem and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development,  Evry Palestine Foundation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Winter activities and activities contribute at NAWA strategic which aimed at empowering the community of Deir Al Balah to increase their access to knowledge and information.

NAWA has opened a science gallery called: “Eye & Sight”. The first of its kind in the Gaza Strip, the gallery is a mobile scientific and interactive exhibit which includes a group of scientific models and holds some interactive scientific shows. The gallery aims at promoting the effective use of non-formal education tools in science fields.

The gallery has three main corners: eight-scientific models- corner, the scientific video corners, and the scientific mentorship corner. The exhibits corners aim at providing learning opportunities and more  constructive and oriented learning experiences giving the children responsibility for their own learning. It also promotes children’s senses of discovery. In a cooperation with Al Nayzak Organization in Ramallah, NAWA managed in obtaining the scientific models for the gallery. The gallery is now offering cultural, artistic, and non-formal educational services for the children and youths in Deir Al Balah.

Nawa for Culture and Arts Association (NAWA) finalized the development of three organizational manuals and (13) policies. These recent developments came under the ” Cultural Empowerment of Children, Youth, Parents and Educators in Deir Al Balah Area” project which is supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by NAWA. The project aims at contributing to NAWA first and second strategic objectives which are to empower Deir Al Balah community culturally, artistically, educationally, and psychologically, and to improve NAWA’s financial sustainability and institutional efficiency.

The  outputs include (3) manuals which are: Administrative Manual, Child Protection Manual, and Good Governance Manual. In addition, it includes (13) policies such as Gender Policy Mainstreaming, Public Relations and Media Policy, Transparency And Accountability Policy &Advocacy and Lobbying Policy. These guides were prepared and endorsed as the reference document for ensuring the sustainability and the success of the association through the effective and efficient utilization and safeguard of its resources and assets.

All NAWA team has received training on the content of these policies given y Al Athar Company consultants who assisted in the development. NAWA team agreed to attend an ongoing refresher training course on the content of these manuals and policies, and to hold progressive training for new staff as part of their induction into the association and its policies and commitments.

Nawa for Culture and Arts Association finalized recently its ”Children’s Gate to the Future” Project in partnership with the Bread for the World. The project aimed at empowering the community of Deir Al-Balah and unfolding its creative potential to solve challenges within the community out of its own strength.

The project lasted for (2.5) consecutive years from April, 2016 till October 2018, and  targeted (1475 ) children, (553) educators, and (9465) parents.

The children project activities were anchored on culture and reading activities, arts & handcrafts activities, environmental community contribution program, and recreational activities. The children activities and training came in (8) activities calendars implemented at NAWA Cultural Center. However, a huge ceremony is usually conducted at the end of each calendar to celebrate the finalization of the activities and to present the skills the children equipped during the courses.

The children stated that they enjoy the storytelling activities, and how they were presented to them. For example, Maryam Al, 12, said that she liked the cultural activity entitled “‘Scientist Story”, and she looked for information about some scientists immediately after the activity, and she shared them with her peers.

The children enjoyed “‘Tales World” activity which was implemented in the duration between October 2017 and March 2018. It was the children first time to listen to stories on the body parts. Another child called Marah A., 10, said that she liked the story about the body skin, for she found it interesting to hear about the functions of the skin in a narrative manner. Nagham N,9, said that she liked Drama In Story Activities as she plays the role she wants, and she keeps imagining what will happen next.

The educators activities were primarily to strengthen their capacities to respond to the needs of the traumatized children. Most educators stated that they benefit from NAWA activities, and they apply them in their educational paths.

NAWA has succeeded to extend its partnership with Bread for the World for another (3) years as the project external evaluation findings concludes that the project activities are relevant, effective, efficient, and holds profound impact on people.