When my dear friend and founder of Playgrounds for Palestine, Susan Abulhawa, asked me to write an article for the newsletter, I was certainly honored. Now that I am completing this task at the eleventh hour, I guess I underestimated the thought and emotion that would swell in me as I attempted to explain my motivation and actions for this charity. The Palestinian people have absolutely grabbed my attention as
Ramzy Baroud (http://www.ramzybaroud.net/) joins PfP Board members susan abulhawa and Dennis Parrish as they train to run the Philadelphia Marathon in the Fall in support of PfP. Would you like to join us? Veteran Palestinian-American journalist and former Al-Jazeera producer, Ramzy Baroud has taught Mass Communication at Australia’s Curtin University of Technology, and is Editor-in-Chief of the Palestine Chronicle. He had this to say about PfP: “Playgrounds for Palestine is a unique organization, for not only does it provide the children of Palestine with a tangible channel that attempts to create some balance, between cruelty and humanity, poverty and joy, occupation and a sense of freedom, it provides us all with ample hope that a happier future is possible for the children of Palestine. I will keep this hopeful image in mind as I run the Philadelphia marathon in support of Playgrounds
We’re very excited to report to our supporters that PfP will build two playground in Lebanon late this summer. In cooperation with MECA (Middle East Children’s Alliance) and ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) , the first system has already been purchased for a preschool and it includes two separate units, a “hide-away hut” and a full play module for ages 2-5 years. We’ve created a page for this playground on our website, where you’ll find more photos and which we’ll update as we get closer to implementation (https://playgroundsforpalestine.org/our-playgrounds.php?ID=9). The second playground will serve a wider range of ages and will likely be built in the Nahr el Bared Camp.
From all of us at PfP we would like say a huge thanks to the for raising $730!! We so appreciate all the gifts and donations we receive, but when it involves kids and the kind of service project, education and generosity that were described in their letter to us, it goes beyond the usual level of gratitude that we feel. Check out their wonderful letter below –
As PfP’s small enterprise of selling Fair Trade, organic, Palestinian olive oil continues to grow thanks to word of mouth and the wonderful volunteers who host olive oil parties for their friends and families. This fall, we would like to recognize the contributions of Houda and Dr. Ali Anaim in Philadelphia; and Stacy Grossman in Grand Rapids, MI. We are so grateful to them for their generous efforts in promoting Palestinian olive oil. Houda and Dr. Ali Anaim have graciously given of their time and effort to help PfP by selling olive oil! They moved from California to Philadephia, PA where Dr. Ali Anaim
September 12 was no ordinary day for the kids of Nahr El Bared Camp. Over 200 children gathered in the Mazen Afifi Playground for a fun day organized by PfP partners Bait Atfal Assoumoud and ANERA. The purpose of the event was to entertain the children and at the same time embellish the park established by PfP, MECA, and the Afifi’s in partnership with ANERA. The kids enjoyed their gifts and a variety of fun activities such as wall painting, trees and flowers planting and other interactive games. Children planted eucalyptus trees
This event, which took place on a beach close to the city of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip, was organized by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) as part of the Summer Games program. The Summer Games Program is designed to provide Palestinian youth in the Gaza Strip with arts and crafts activities, festivals, and Arabic and math education during the summer months. This kite festival was an attempt to break the previous Guinness World Record for kite flying. By
This ship which carried reconstruction and 3 tons of medical supplies, in addition to childrens’ toys, also carried passengers such as Cynthia McKinney, a former US Congresswoman and presidential candidate, and Mairead Maguire, a Nobel Peace Prize winner. The reason for the ship’s detainment is the Israeli-enforced blockade on Gaza. The ship’s supplies were confiscated, and the IDF has stated they will be delivered “subject to authorization.” The ship, sent as a part of the Free Gaza Movement, is said to have been in international waters at the time of its capture. Ms. McKinney said “This is an outrageous violation of international law against us. Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip.” This was the
Dear PfPers, Some good news! The two playgrounds that we installed in Gaza, one in Rafah and one in Khan Younis, a few years ago have been spared and they’re getting good use. We added some pictures of the playground in Rafah and expect more pictures from Khan Younis soon. We had been worried that the playgrounds may have been damaged over the four week long Israeli air and land assault that left most of Gaza in rubble. And with everything that Gazans had lost, including so many lives senselessly ended, we didn’t feel comfortable asking them about the playgrounds. But our wonderful friends at ANERA checked on them for us and we got a few pictures from Rafah that we’re happy to share with you.
JC Boushh, a supporter and volunteer at PfP, traveled to Beirut on November 26th to install a playground in the refugee camp of Nahr el Bared, and to train local workers to install our second playground at Ein el Hilweh, two playgrounds we’re putting up in partnership with Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) For more photos of the installation, click here We will post more about these playgrounds at a later date. Keep checking the website for updates on Ein el Hilweh
We are excited to announce the launch of an initiative we’ve been working on for a while. PfP established a school in Gaza for grades 1-5. We’re in our third week now of operation and it’s amazing. The school is a mixture of traditional and non-traditional learning. The first few days were focused on getting to
My contribution makes me happy for the cause, and is inspired by my friends, Holly and Scudder, who are getting married.