PalVision Organization concluded Sanad initiative for youth counseling. The initiative was in an implementation process over a period of 6 months in Jerusalem. It aimed to empower Palestinian university students and investing in their energy and efforts in the voluntary works and activities that benefit the Palestinian society sectors especially the educational sector in Jerusalem. It also supported them to obtain a university grant in return for psychological and academic support for the Jerusalemites school students. The initiative targeted two different groups, first it targeted 77 Palestinian students from the Palestinian universities (Birzeit University, Al-Quds University, Bethlehem University and Al-Quds Open University). The second group included 134 students from Jerusalem schools between the ages of 8-12.
The initiative has provided a well-designed comprehensive training program for university students. In the first phase, a number of meetings were held in the educational and social counseling fields for the children, particularly in topics related to cognitive development, cognitive behavioral theory, modeling in education and the importance of the university student participation in the project as a successful model. In the second phase, the university students started to get more active and familiar in terms of practice and guidance aspects through the implementation of a series of individual meetings with the selected school students then a follow- up meeting conducted by specialists.
Manar Issa, the coordinator of Sanad initiative in PalVision said that: “The initiative in its essence aims to empower the targeted Jerusalemite students in the Palestinian Universities, who are responsible to guide and support one or two children with an average of 60 training hours and weekly meetings in which they provided them with social, psychological and academic support.
PalVision organization has concluded Sanad Initiative by organizing “Sanad Summer Camp”, which created an incubator and cultural recreational platform for school students and Jerusalemite children. The training program aimed to develop children’s cognitive abilities, raise their scientific and technical level, in addition to improve their personal and leadership skills.
100 students from a wide range of towns of Jerusalem were exposed to a variety of activities of artistic activities such as Dabkeh, singing and educational activities that concentrated on improving the innovation sense in the targeted children. in addition, the initiative introduces the participants into the experience of agriculture production, clay crafting, entertainment games, and mind games, in order to open new paths of knowledge about their hobbies and passion. The initiative also made sure to conduct ice-breaking activities and provide them with communication skills training.
The guide Suhaila Abu Jumaa said that Sanad camp helped the Jerusalemite children to express themselves and put their energy at the right place, specially that Jerusalem lacks public facilities and playgrounds for children. Also, the increase of the psychological and social pressures of the Jerusalemite students, their need to spend their energy in a healthy way increases in urgency, which Sanad provides. It also provided financial support to us as university students and opened the opportunity for us to engage in the institutional labor market”.
This initiative is implemented by The Palestinian Vision Organization in partnership with The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the Stability and Community Development Program in Areas (C) and East Jerusalem, with a support from Sweden, Austria, Norway and Finland governments.
