Help us Support the Physical and Mental Health of the Children of Gaza
Khuza is a Palestinian town in the Khan Yunis Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip. Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine has a history of supporting the Khuza community by working with MECA (Middle East Children’s Alliance) to provide water filtration units for schools, basic food and sanitation kits, winter clothing, as well as help in the construction of a playground. The people of Khuza have welcomed and thanked us for our solidarity despite regular US supported Israeli bombings of their homes, hospitals, and water filtration system.
Please go to the MECA website HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to deliver and expand mental health services in Khuza and Khan Younis, Gaza.
Children in the Gaza Strip have lived in an endless nightmare, having grown up surrounded by Israeli airstrikes. While the need for child protection and psycho-social support is increasing, the current care system is overstretched, unable to fully respond to the protection and psycho-social needs of children and their caregivers. We are raising money for a project which will last for 12 months and target 1600 affected children and 900 caregivers (mothers/fathers). It will also aim to strengthen and build the capacity of MECA’s partners of community-based organizations and NGOs who will be providing the services.
We are seeking $18,000 to meet these desperate needs in Khuza.
$1200 will pay the salary of a psychologist for two months who will:
· Identify psychological and behavioral problems and provide individual psychological counseling and intervention to children and mothers
· Provide training and supervision to community-based counselors and facilitators who will implement activities for children to provide emotional support and stability and enhance resilience.
$600 will pay one month of the salaries of a counselor and two facilitators who will:
· Implement recreational activities such as play, sports and theater to create a secure space for children including games, competitions, clown and puppet shows
· Work with caregivers to manage their stress, improve their emotional availability for parenting, strengthen their social networks and support, and help them develop alternatives to harsh discipline actions with children.
$300 will pay for one month of materials needed for the creative sessions with children
$75 will pay for one month of COVID mitigation supplies for sessions with children and caregivers
$60 will pay for one month of supplies required for the individual counseling sessions for children and caregivers
$50 will pay for one month of transportation costs for children and mothers for the individual counseling sessions
Please go to the MECA website HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to deliver and expand mental health services in Khuza and Khan Younis, Gaza.