Brief summary
Palestinian refugees live in the most impoverished areas of Lebanon, where – because of the cramped spacing of living quarters – sunlight is unable to reach a lot of the housing structures. Many camps suffer from socio-economic deprivation and improvement of the living condition has been slow. As a result children living in these refugee camps have no playgrounds, and simply, young people’s ambitions have died out. Kahkaha is a new project that aims to address these issues by improving the young refugees’ opportunities to play, learn and interact in a fun and encouraging environment. Through this project we aim build better relations between the refugees and the local community as well as empowering young Palestinians to become their own capable agents.
Background and past experience
Through experiences with El Rahelet (Arabic for “The Outings”), an initiative designed to take groups of 20 children, ages 8-10, out of the camps on a regular basis, we have learned how important an opportunity to interact with the ‘outside world’ is for the Palestinian children. El Rahelet has been running for three years now and is part of the NGO Social Support Society. The project has given more than 800 children from five different camps in Beirut the chance to discover the world outside the camp. Through this project the children improved their self-awareness and self-confidence, and more importantly gained deeper awareness of the Lebanese society.
What we propose: El Rahelet has brought children out from the camps and into the Lebanese society. With Kahkaha project we aim to bring Lebanese youths into the camps to volunteer with our activities. Through this exchange, there will be many interactions that will lead to further integrating young Palestinians with the Lebanese society.
Kahkaha, which means laughter in Arabic and Turkish, is about fun and encouragement. Through participating in the activities, we aim to allow both our volunteers and young Palestinians to enjoy the process or learning about each other and laugh together.
This project targets Palestinian refugees (children, youth and young women) in three different camps on the Lebanese territory: Bourj El Barajneh, Sabra and Shatila and Mar Elias.
Legal framework
Kahkaha project is under the legal framework of Social Support Society. Social Support Society is an NGO established in 2006 with the aim to provide relief, foster new hope, and to provide challenge and opportunity to all generations of Palestinian refugees living in the camps of Lebanon. Social Support Society has two centers, one in Bourj el Barajneh and another in Nahr el Bared.
SSS Social Support Society registration number is 19 at 5/1/2009 in Beirut.
The project will also cooperate with community centers within the camps, such as Association Najdeh in Chatila camp, Social Support Society and Women’s Association in Burj el Barajneh and Nour center in Mar Elias camp.
