Join Us

Show your support for the Bedouin children’s right to education in the Jordan Valley.

MA’AN Development Center in cooperation with Save the Jordan Valley Campaign invites you to join us at the Ein Il Hilwe tent school on February 26th.

This day present an opportunity to raise your awareness on the Jordan Valley/Area C and the educational situation for the children living there.

This campaign day aims to highlight the right to education in the area. Presentations will be made by members of Save the Jordan Valley Campaign followed by voluntary efforts around the school.

Transportation: A bus will be arranged at Qalandia check point parking lot 09:00, and will return at around 16.00, feel free to come with the bus or follow in your own car.

Program
11.00 Arriving at Ein Il Hilwe School
11.30 Presentations by Save the Jordan Valley Campaign followed by open discussion
12.30 Volunteer work including pitching a new tent, coloring tires etc
14.00 Lunch break at the Jordan Valley Friend’s House in Jiftlik
15.00 Bus will leave back to Qalandiya

Feel free to convey this invitation to anyone interested. As the number of seats in the bus is limited, please confirm attendance no later than Thursday February 24, 4 pm.

Any financial or in kind contribution such as educational material, stationary, toys etc from either organizations or individuals that will improve the situation for the children is more than welcome. Should you be interested in contributing and need help on arrangement please see contact information below. Donations can be made through MA’AN Center or directly to Save the Jordan Valley Campaign.

For more information & Coordination please contact:
Save the Jordan Valley Campaign (Rashed) at 0599-638 923
MA’AN Development Center (office) 02-295 4451, (Wahbeh) at 0598-315 399

 

A Call for the Right to Education for Children in the Jordan Valley

The legal right of all children to a free and safe education is not new, not vague and not flexible

The restrictive policies of the Israeli occupation implemented in Area C make it impossible for the Palestinian Authority to adequately meet the educational requirements etched in international law as there is literally no possibility to build or rehabilitate schools and there are checkpoints which limit the movement possibilities for both teachers and students. Not only does Israel violate its responsibilities as an occupying power, its occupational policies continually violate, often with intent, the right to education of Palestinian children, particularly in the Jordan Valley. In order to work against the occupation with among other issues education, to stay resilient and remain on their lands, the citizens of the Jordan Valley are joint together in Local Popular Committees (LPCs) hosted by MA’AN Development Center. The work carried out by the LPCs is done in the name of Save the Jordan Valley Campaign.

Since the beginning of the occupation, Israel has repeatedly used demolitions of private and communal property as a means to shape Palestinian behavior. That a structure serves children and does pose a threat to Israel hardly enters into the demolition deliberations.  Schools, therefore, are not spared from the destruction of Israeli bulldozers. One recent example of this terrible action is in Khirbet Tana, a village east of Nablus with a population of about 300. Thirty structures were destroyed in October 2010, including a school, homes, and shelter for farm animals. Out of the 40 children who used to attend its primary school, only 17 still do so. They now study in a small tent, with desks and a blackboard salvaged from the ruins of the old school. Another example is Ka’abneh school, an L-shaped structure made from tin, concrete and small portable caravans. Although the infrastructure is small and entirely inadequate for an educational institution, the Ka’abneh school has received six demolition orders in the last three years for construction without an Israeli permit.

The Bedouin community of Ein Il Hilwe is located in the north of the Jordan Valley. The children from this community as well as from the neighboring communities used to attend school in Tayasir for which they had to travel through the difficult Tayasir checkpoint. On a daily basis the children were facing harassment from the soldiers when trying to get to and from school. Some days children were forced off the bus and were left to walk the 13 km back home on the dangerous main road. In order to help the children receive a better education at a closer distance and avoid the everyday struggle to get to school, Save the Jordan Valley Campaign erected a tent school in Ein Il Hilwe on November 21st. The location of the school is very important as it is located next to five large settlements. The villagers in the Bedouin communities are determined not to be evicted from the area but are facing daily threats from settlers who want them off the land.

The school is currently teaching 35 children who previously had to travel a long difficult way to Tayasir to attend school. Families had to pay about 100 NIS per month per child for the school bus which, despite payment did not provide a reliable service, seriously affecting the children’s possibility to attend school. Because of this, together with the harassment faced by the soldiers, some of the children stayed at the homes of relatives, far from home, during the weekdays resulting in them only seeing their parents on weekends.

The tent school is currently at maximum capacity, but with bigger facilities more children would be able to attend the school. The additional number of children that would benefit from partaking in the education at the location of the tent school is around 100. The school is currently trying to provide education in subjects such as Arabic, English, mathematics, chemistry and religion which is difficult as the existing educational material is very basic. MA’AN Center has through funding from Cordaid delivered stationary and some basic teaching aids. In addition to this, plastic chairs and items have been donated through separate charitable funding however, this is far from enough and the need for books is great.

The Palestinian Authority pays some of the salaries for established schools in the Jordan Valley, but the teachers in the tent schools are providing their time and knowledge on a voluntary basis and are dependent on charity of independent organizations to build and maintain what little and fragile facilities the school currently has. In addition the cost for the transportation of the teachers is high and also dependent on charitable donations. In addition to the weekly attendees the teachers further provide support teaching at the weekends for children that attend other schools who cannot always attend regularly due to the aforementioned reasons.

Demolishing schools is a way to eliminate the educational opportunities of Palestinian children. This is more than simply a violation of Article 50 of the 4th Geneva Convention, requiring an occupying force to “facilitate the proper working” of schools, it is also a means to ensure the sustainability of the illegal occupation while greatly damaging future generations of Palestinians.

The children of the Jordan Valley need to be educated in order to develop their full potential and that of a future Palestinian state. MA’AN Center, together with the Save the Jordan Valley Campaign is calling out for your support and donation of in kind or financial aid which will improve the children’s right to education in Ein Il Hilwe.

Your support is essential ! Please see the invitation above for your kind attendance.