2006 Progress Report

The Faisal Al Husseini Award:

The Faisal Husseini Award provides the chance for the age group 14 – 25 to be involved in developing their own abilities on one hand, and contribute to the development of the Palestinian community, individuals and institutions alike, through participation in four extra curricular educational programs which have been classified into three level, Bronze, Silver and Golden. Currently the Bronze level has been introduced in Jerusalem to be later expanded to rest of Palestine.
The four programs can be summarized as follows: the services program (voluntary services in community centres), the skills program (development of individual skills), sports activity program (acquisition and development of sports skills), exploration trip program (consolidation of sense of belonging and group spirit).
This award is distinguished in its ability to merge the four uncompetitive programs that can create a balance between voluntary work and conducting activity during spare time. The Award also provides an opportunity for youth and is distant from any form of discrimination on the basis of religion, sect, race, culture, politics, colour, sex and social status.

Establishment of the first scout’s camp under the umbrella of the Faisal Husseini Youth Award:

The administration of the Faisal Husseini Youth Award organized the first camp in the Latroun area in Jerusalem, during the period of 15 to 25 July, first for males and then for females.
The camp brought together 26 males and 28 females in addition to a number of team leaders from university students and a paramedic from the Palestinian Red Crescent. The camp included a number of sport, scout, scientific and artistic activities in addition to discussion groups.

Primary preparations for the scouts camp

Project for developing youth centres in the Old City / the Faisal Husseini Award

Faisal Husseini Foundation is currently implementing this project which is funded by the German Fund for Palestinian NGOs managed by the Freidrich Na’uman Foundation. This project aims at providing an appropriate place for the youth to train in different skills within the Faisal Husseini Award project in return for a symbolic gesture. The project also aims at activating the targeted centres in the Old City through the support and development of four youth facilities in addition to the payment of salaries of trainers in five centres to activate these facilities.

First: development of 4 youth centres

1.  The Old City Youth Society

Equipping a music room and providing furniture, tools and music equipment as follows:

• Lutes and accessories.
• Guitars and accessories
• Drums
• Electronic piano
• Cupboards to keep the equipment
• Seats
• A board and music note holders
• Provision of music books

Musical instruments at the Old City Youth Society

2.  The African Society

Provision of the following sport equipment

• Pommel horse
• Trampoline
• Mattresses
• Cupboards to keep the equipment

3.  The Burj Al Laqlaq community centre:

Provision of the following sport equipment

• Accessories related to hand ball
• Accessories related to tennis
• Accessories related to volley ball
• Cupboards to keep equipment
• Re-painting, playground line marking and fixing the lighting

The playground after re-painting, line marking and fixing the lighting

4.  The Asaraya centre for the support of the community

• replacement of three old computers with new ones

Secondly: Training of five youth centres. The training will include theory on strategic planning and development of projects

Salaries for 6 staff members paid for five months in five centres:

1. A music trainer in the Old City Youth Society
2. Judo and Karate trainer for the African Society.
3. Gym trainer for the African Society.
4. A trainer for outside sports at the Burj Al Luqluq Community Centre
5. A computer trainer at the Asaraya Centre for the Support of the Community.
6. Body building and fitness trainer for the Martin Luther Centre for Community Development

Judo training at the African Society	Music training at the Old City Youth Society

The comprehensive development project for the Old City Youth Society:

The Old City Youth Society is located in Qatanine market which is close to the Dome of the Rock. The area of the location is estimated at 600 square metres. The society was established in 1990 with the objective of serving the youth in the neighbourhood. In order to help the society, the Faisal Husseini Foundation has designed a comprehensive development plan to provide total assistance including the internal division of the venue and the addition of more services such as music training and the hiring of staff comprised of an administrative manger, a secretary, a social specialist and a cleaner.

The African society project:

The society's headquarters is situated in the Bab al Majles neighbourhood in the Old City of Jerusalem with a quite large area representing an average number of 500 Palestinian residents. The society was supported through the appointment of a paid coordinator whose job is to develop an activation plan for the place and follow up the existing programs of the society. It should be mentioned that the programs of the society have been expanded to include sports and culture.

A series of training workshops for school students on ' grafting of fruitful trees':

Said Yaqeen: “my aim is to create a new generation of villagers”

The Faisal al Husseini Foundation, in cooperation with the General Union of the Palestinian Peasant and Agriculture Coop /Jerusalem, has supported the implementation of a series of training workshops on ' Grafting of fruitful trees' in 9 schools in the suburbs of Jerusalem during the period of 2 April until 15 April 2006. The objective of the workshops was to consolidate the concept of connecting to land and allow them to acquire the skill drafting of trees and other skills on reproducing trees and plants.
The schools that participated in these workshops are as follows: the Fatima Azahra' girls school, the Al Amawiyeh secondary girls school, the Beit Dukko male school, the Beit Iksa secondary boys school, the Malek Ghazi secondary boys school, Beit Soureek secondary boys school, al Jeeb secondary boys school, Qatanna martyrs secondary boys school and Beit I' nan secondary boys school.
The Chairperson of the General Union was aiming to restore the connection of Palestinian villagers with their land and cultivate it as was the case in older times saying : ' this project is an attempt to restore the relationship between man and land and the transformation of knowledge into some kind of behaviour – another way to say this is to practice what has been learned', indicating that learning these methods could be transformed into behaviour in rural areas – in brief, my ain is to create a new generation of villagers'.

Workshops for school students on 'grafting of fruitful trees'

Urgent and small Youth Projects:

Supporting athletes from Jerusalem

The FHF supported a number of athletes from occupied Jerusalem within the Palestinian Union for table tennis for beginners. The Foundation paid the tickets to give the opportunity to participate in the world competition in Qatar. The FHF has also supported a number of Chess players to participate in the Seventh Championship for Arab Chess Clubs in Jordan.

Supporting a Dabka group

The FHF supported the Anahda Arifiah Dabka group in the Bedouin section of north-west Jerusalem by procuring special garment and by covering the salary of the trainer for 6 months.

Supporting libraries

Salaries of a number of librarians were paid in the Burj Al Laqlaq centre, the Palestinian vision institution, the Silawn club and the Old City Youth Society.