Centers
FEATURING niScvt CentersS
NAHER EL BARED
Location:
Naher El-Bared camp is located in the most Southerly part of Akkar region at the end flow of Naher El-Bared River in the Mediterranean Sea, at a distance of 15 Km from the city of Tripoli.
History:
The camp was established in 1949, to six thousand refugees who were moved from the Southern border villages. The area of the camp is approximately one square kilometer which has not been expanded to meet the natural growth of the population, which reached, according to UNRWA figures, 24,540 inhabitants from 4,948 families. This means that population of the camp has increased four fold, with the average number of family members being 6 individuals. Due to the civil war in Lebanon a large number of families moved from the South and from Beirut, taking refuge in this camp, their number in 1991 reached 2,413 persons.
Camp Conditions:
I. Social Condition:
The Naher El-Bared camp is small rural community in a very limited geographic area; the majority of its population originating from the Galilee villages in Northern Palestine. This characteristic facilitated the establishment of good relations with the Lebanese rural community around the camp. Due to the poverty and high unemployment, the social problems are abundant in this camp, mainly among the new generation. Located in a rural area and near the sea; many families depend on fishing and the agriculture sector. Commerce is also another source of income and for a long time this camp has linked Akkar villages with Tripoli city and provided the main necessities for those villages. However this role is diminished now due to improved communication facilities and, more generally, the economic recession in Lebanon.
II. Educational Conditions:
The combinative enrollment figure at all schools is 7,031 students representing 32% of the overall population, distributed according to the following percentages:
• 52% in the elementary level
• 28% in the intermediate
• 9% in the secondary
• 6.5% in vocational training
• 4% reached university level.
The above figures indicate that most of the children are enrolled in the elementary and intermediate schools reflecting a great desire among the families to educate their children. However, the small number of students at the secondary level is due to the lack of a secondary school located inside the camp; the nearest one is in Beddawi camp and many families cannot afford the transportation expenses.
Concerning the Kindergarten level, 80% of the children in the camp are enrolled in the Kindergartens operating inside the camp by different NGOs.
III. Health conditions:
Due to the high stress life camp inhabitants lead, bad infrastructure, bad housing conditions, pollution mainly water and malnutrition, diseases inside this camp are abundant. 19.6% of the population suffers from chronic illness. A recent study ran by the Lebanese Ministry of Health indicated that the highest number of cancer cases in Lebanon was found in Naher El-Bared camp.
All medical centers and clinics inside the camp lack the necessary equipment, medication and human resources who makes it unable to meet the real needs of the people, which are the same in all camps.
Beit Atfal Assumoud Center:
Work started inside this camp in the year 1987, inside a small rented house. In 1990, a new spacious center was constructed through a financial support from the Japanese Committee for the Children of Palestine (JCCP).
Services:
The center provides the following services for orphaned children and others from families categorized as hardship cases:
• Sponsorship project for 205 children
• A dental clinic serving children of the center and kids from different KGs inside the camp
• A mental health clinic for treatment, counseling and awareness raising
• A kindergarten serving 70 children from the age group 3-6 years
• Vocational training such as: electrical installation, aluminum works, computer courses to name a few
• Internet service for all students of the camp.
• A specialized teaching program for 18 boy and girls who dropped out from school
• A sports club with football, ping pong and running teams.
• Scouts activities, a musical band and folk dancing groups.
• Remedial classes for approximately 65 children from elementary level.
• Cultural and recreational activities for the caldron and youth plus summer camps.
• Social and cultural activities for the mothers.
Needs:
1. Establish a new modern library for children with computer facilities
2. Musical equipment and uniforms for the scouts groups
3. New costumes for the folk dancing groups
4. Establishment of a theater equipped with sound and light requirements
5. Funds for a studio for the children to produce small documentaries, through which they can express their opinions and reflect their problems
6. Playing equipment for the Kindergarten playground