Charities and NGOs in Palestine

The following charities and non-governmental organisations are active in children’s and community projects with Palestinian children. This list is by no means exhaustive, and inclusion in this list does not imply explicit recommendation by Hope and Play. If you would like to support any, please look into the organisation yourself and make your own decision. Hope and Play is not affiliated with any unless explicitly mentioned.

Local

	Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children has been working with deaf education and allied services since 1992. Thousands of deaf children and adults and their families are supported every year through deaf education, audiology, speech therapy, income generating programs for the deaf, vocational training, parents’, teachers’ and community training and awareness programs, and a host of other services and programs.
	Canaan Institute of New Pedagogy The Canaan Institute of New Pedagogy provides professional training for teachers and social workers who work with children, “based on the right to participation, freedom of choice, and non-violence”. (Disclosure – Hope and Play partners regularly with the Canaan Institute for the provision of projects in Gaza.)
	Nablus the Culture Nablus The Culture is a non-for-profit organization that aims to revive cultural life in Nablus through the promotion of Music, Theater and Arts. It has been undertaking a tremendous programme of teaching music and musical instruments to children and young people in Nablus, and its director assisted us in the deployment of a playground in Nablus.
	Right to Education Campaign The Right to Education campaign at Birzeit University has three aims. First, to raise awareness of the challenges facing Palestinian children who are seeking an education. Second is to build an international campaign to support children, teachers and educational institutions. Third is to oppose the Israeli occupation and its attacks on Palestinian education.
	Society Of Al-burij For Community Habilitation The Society Of Al-burij For Community Habilitation (Arabic link) is a community-based organisation which works in Gaza’s largest refugee camp, Al-Bureij, to support children with disabilities and learning difficulties and their families. (Disclosure – we partnered with the Society Of Al-burij For Community Habilitation to refurbish their centre and start an outreach programme. It was wonderfully delivered by them.

International

	Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services focusses on accompanying local partners to strengthen the economic, civic and environmental foundations for a viable Palestinian state while responding to humanitarian crises whenever they arise. It is “guided by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ commitment to a just, sustainable, and secure peace, in accordance with the Vatican’s appeal that “the two-state solution become a reality, not remain a dream.”
	Children's Relief Bethlehem Children’s Relief Bethlehem is a charity that operates in many countries in Europe, and who’s prime objective is the support of the Caritas Children’s Hospital in Bethlehem, which serves children regardless of religion. At the time of writing, the hospital’s doors have been open for 60 years since its founding by Father Ernst Schnydrig.
	Defence for Children International Defence for Children International is an International non-governmental child rights organisation and movement. DCI Palestine Section, aims to promote and protect the rights of Palestinian children in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC). They have a number of activities, but are particularly active in the field of Juvenile Justice.
	Hope and Play Hope and Play is the UK charity behind this web site, and focusses on children in occupied Palestinian lands and refugee camps. Amongst other projects, we have built playgrounds, bought educational laptops for children in refugee camps, financed Summer Camps for Gaza’s children, equipped children’s libraries and sent clothing to children in need.
	Interpal Interpal is a non-political, non-profit making British charity that works with international funding partners and partners on the ground to provide relief and development aid to Palestinians in need, mainly in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan.
	Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA) The Middle East Children’s Alliance engages in a broad range of activities to “make life a little bit better for the children” of Palestine, and now also Iraq. It is a US-based charity, and has done some great work, such as the Maia project to provide clean drinking water for children in Gaza’s schools.
	Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) Medical Aid for Palestinians focuses on health development and responding to emergency humanitarian crises. In health development, the focus is on “the key areas of child health and primary health care, disability and rehabilitation, and psychosocial health, while working towards an integrated approach to primary health care and public health”.
	PACES Palestine Association for Children’s Encouragement of Sports (PACES) provides “healthy, structured after-school sports programs for Palestinian girls and boys” in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Lebanon and Jordan. In the main, this is by providing facilities and coaching for regular football and basketball games for children. They are very popular and successful, and engage not only with the children, but with training coaches and working with families and communities.
	Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund searches across Europe, the Middle East, the US and elsewhere to find treatment for children who are in need of medical attention. It then sends them there, and works locally to give them support while undergoing treatment.
	Save the Children Save the Children has a focus on Gaza’s children especially since the invasion of Dec 2008 / Jan 2009. They work with local partners to enable them “design, implement, sustain and monitor” long term development programmes.
	UNICEF Aside from UNRWA, the other main UN body active in the occupied Palestinian lands is UNICEF. They also have a number of initiatives focussing on Gaza’s children, in fields of health and education.
	UNRWA UNRWA is the largest active organisation in Gaza, the West Bank and the Palestinian refugee camps in the Middle East. They run the refugee camps and a vast number of play, health and education projects. (Disclosure – Hope and Play has worked with UNRWA on a number of initiatives.)
	The Welfare Association The Welfare Association supports humanitarian and development projects. They work for the “reduction of poverty for marginalised Palestinian communities, especially children and the disabled, with support for health, education, agriculture and emergency services in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.”