Updated: May 2008

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT:

A Medical Clinic for children (more than 20,000 families are registered here), an Infant Welfare Section for weighing and vaccinations (the number of vaccinations given is dependent on the patients’ access to Jerusalem.) In the year 2000 more than 26.000 vaccinations were registered, but severe travel restrictions and the building of the Separation Wall have prevented many people from reaching the Centre in the last years. This has led to the establishment of medical outreach programs to serve our patients in the West Bank. As part of the monitoring of growth and development a hearing screening is done at the age of seven months. A Dispensing Office, where only the most frequently used medicines are dispensed to poor people. To the most needy families also food and baby milk are dispensed free, as well as (used) clothes, when available. Health Education through group teaching and individual advice and counseling. Lectures are given in child growth and development, being physical as well as social, psychological, emotional development and in the field of speech, language and cognitive abilities. Medical Outreach Programs to the West Bank : Almost daily a medical team goes to clinics in the West Bank for pediatric services, regular and special vaccinations (HiB, Hepatitis A) that are not available in the regular Palestinian scheme, hearing- and development tests and lectures for mothers.

PSYCHOSOCIAL EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT:

In the Social section four social workers assess the need for financial and social assistance; occasionally home visits are made. They mainly address psychosocial problems in the family through individual and group counseling and concentrate on programs for empowerment of women, as part of the holistic approach to the child. The social section deals mainly with adults (mothers, fathers) and young people. There are courses for women with lectures and discussions to make them more aware of their capabilities and rights, as well as understanding relationships within the family. For several years courses in Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapy have been led by a professional therapist. These were initially intended for mothers /women to become more aware of their inner self, of hidden problems, fears and frustrations that still influence their behavior and motivations, and through realizing this, learn to get rid of old anger and anxieties. The positive results of these courses and the violent events of the last decades that caused a lot of post-traumatic stress disorders, have led to sessions and short courses for children and young people to counteract the fears, anger and sadness that they have experienced. Expressive Arts Therapy is now widely used as therapy for people and children who have been traumatized by conflict-situations. In addition the social workers also have a program in the schools, lecturing and discussing subjects with the youth that are not in the school curriculum.

In the Psychology Section children are assessed and treated by the psychologist and referred to the different sections. The psychologist consultant works with children from four to nineteen years of age. Parents are counseled and the test results discussed with the Special Education team, the Speech Therapy section and Play Therapist to design a treatment program. The Special Education teachers work closely with the psychologist and social workers in helping children with their handicaps. This is done through individual teaching or in small groups. The children are divided into different age groups.

In the Speech Therapy Section the teachers work with children who have speech and language problems. Speech problems are often connected with learning or psychological disabilities and need therefore a multi-disciplinary approach with involvement of the psychologist and pediatrician Through lectures and workshops for teachers and community leaders more awareness is being created for early recognition of speech problems.

Play Therapy Section: many pre-schoolchildren show mild psychomotor problems, behavior problems or delayed development. Sometimes this is due to a real physical or neurological problem, but frequently under- stimulation in the home environment is the cause. Increasingly it is also the result of traumatization from the violent situation. To prepare these children for the kindergarten and school life a course in Play Therapy is very beneficial, so they will be able to uphold themselves in the normal life, which is very competitive.

CULTURAL DEPARTMENT:

The Cultural Department maintains connections with other cultural, artistic and sport centers and cooperates in creative activities and events.

The Library is a central point of the Cultural Department. The aim is to let children discover the joy of reading and enhance their general knowledge. Not only can the children borrow books but they can also participate in different activities, like reading a story together and talk about it, or draw some scenes described in the story. Sometimes a general topic will be discussed by the supervisor like an environmental subject, a famous person in history or the violence and fear generated by the political situation. Through drawings they can project their ideas and anxieties. The aim is to stimulate their fantasy and creative thinking, complementing the school education.

Handicrafts sessions and workshops; where children learn to make from scrap and other material various things, like collages of cut-out paper, stenciling and printing, masks from paper and plaster, painting on different material, working with clay, mosaic techniques, etc.

The Drama Section gives classes as a form of cultural creativity as well as psychotherapy. It develops the imagination and creative skills and has a positive influence on emotional and speech problems , while at the same time stimulating language skills. We are increasing this kind of activities as it is also a powerful teaching tool. Part of the Drama program is the Educational Theatre. Through small sketches children and adults are made aware of important issues in the society, health hazards (smoking, drugs), environmental issues, democracy, etc. Another part of the activities in this section is teaching youth to dress and act like Clowns to amuse and emotionally support the younger children.

Occasionally Art workshops are organized for painting and sculpting by a professional art teacher. Art increases the power of observation for colors, shapes, perspective and eye- hand coordination, developing fine finger- and hand movements. Regular art classes by professionals have been very beneficial in the past,resulting in great improvement in the children’s technique of painting and drawing. Creating a work of art is a good way to improve the self-esteem of the children.

Dancing and Movement Section. The children and youth learn to dance the Dabkeh, the Palestinian national dance, which improves their coordination and rhythmic feeling, as well as getting rid of excessive energy. Performing the dances on Fun Days and festivals is very good for their self-esteem and gives them much joy.

Chess classes are given by an amateur chess player who participates regularly in chess competitions. Chess teaches logical strategic thinking and long-term planning and concentration. A variety of sporting activities in coordination with other organizations. It is good for the physical and emotional development

In the Music Section a musician teaches the children playing on percussion instruments (Tableh) developing their sense of rhythm in combination with acrobatics. Another musician teaches the children and youth to sing, a good breathing exercise as well as giving joy and relaxation. More than teaching to play an instrument, the aim is to teach children to enjoy music and singing, as this is an excellent way to relieve daily stress. With equipment like LCD projector and sound systems we can provide cinema with films for the different age groups. Sometimes these are educational films that will be followed by discussion.

In addition to the above, the Cultural Department organizes holiday camps in summer and winter for different age groups with sports, art, music, trips, theatre and cultural activities. During these events we aim to bring together youth from the different Palestinian areas and East Jerusalem, teaching them about Palestine through trips and educational / cultural programs, strengthening their Palestinian Identity. Computer Room: Contacts made during the holiday camps or other activities are being maintained through E-mail and Internet chatting.

For this purpose a Computer Room has been established with 8 computers. As Palestine is now divided in different areas and permissions are needed to go from one area to the other, this is the only way for the youth to keep in contact. This is especially important for the Jerusalem youth as East Jerusalem has become very much isolated from the rest of Palestine. Computer courses are being organized for youth and women and the youth also do research on the internet for projects. The youth-leaders make brochures, flyers, logo’s, websites, etc. In special workshops they can acquire skills like video-editing, graphic designs etc. Groups of teenagers are being trained to be youth leaders and volunteers for community work. They help in all kinds of activities and come regularly to the Centre for counseling and other sessions. Through the year regular activities take place like puppet theatre, carnival , art competitions and exhibitions, etc. with active participation of the children and youth. In many of these activities the mothers are encouraged to take part and learn how to interact with their children in a positive way. The staff and volunteer youth leaders organize entertainment activities in other institutions caring for children in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. They go and give performances as well as do creative activities with the children taking the necessary equipment with them.

New programs being planned are courses of Cultural Heritage with preservation of archeological and interesting buildings; and a course in Environmental issues.

The various departments cooperate with each other and children are referred freely from one department and one section to the other, thus ensuring a holistic approach to the child. The children are referred to the Center by schools, physicians or come of their own accord, having heard about SCC from family members, neighbors, etc.

The programs are mainly intended for children and young people of disadvantaged families, many of whom live below the poverty line. They are requested to contribute to the program according to affordability but an increasing number are treated free. The people come to the Centre from the Old City, East Jerusalem, and surrounding villages. But patients also come from Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah area when the situation allows it. Most of the activities have been started on the request of the local population who expressed an interest in particular subjects and stressed the need for certain programs. We always try to involve the people in starting new programs. The different projects are regularly evaluated through oral discussions or the completion of questionnaires completed by participants and, where important, by parents and teachers.

ADMINISTRATION:

The CEO is responsible for fundraising and public relations with the help of the board of trustees. She manages the different programs and projects in cooperation with the professional staff.  In May 2008, a Chief Operating Officer (COO) was hired to re-organize and oversee the administration. A Financial Officer (part time at this point)is in charge of the financial management , working closely together with the executive secretary and COO, who also takes care of centralized purchasing of resource material and equipments and receives all payments . There is also an Executive Secretary who supports the Administrative Staff.