Celebration at newly constructed Unlimited Friends Association Educational Center and Kindergarten
The Unlimited Friends Association has big plans for a healthier and better educational environment. As soon as the doors opened to the newly constructed center, it conducted its first summer camp with an attendance of 100 children. The fun day included competitive games and messages about cleanliness, personal hygiene, and playing through clown-led activities. A drawstring bag including a puzzle, water bottle, wipes, and toothbrush and toothpaste were also distributed to the 100 participants.
Al Zawayda, in Deir al-Balah Governorate in central Gaza, is home to some 28,000 Palestinians. The old rooms that Unlimited Friends Association rented in this area did not have a proper playground, classrooms and adequate space to accommodate the growing number of students.
To help the struggling community, Anera, with support from USAID under the PCID program, built a larger and brighter educational center and kindergarten in the area. With a panoramic view of the landscape and trees on one side, the new center contains five classrooms, a play area, and an office space. The second floor hosts the multipurpose educational center for orphans and students that have dropped out of formal schooling, and additional space for curricular education, and special learning for autistic and students with disabilities, and additional office spaces. This project also includes the construction of a playground and boundary wall.
The new building now provides services to residents of Al Bureij, Al Maghazi, Nusseirat and Al Zawayda areas. This center directly benefits more than 1,420 people. Additionally, the new space will allow UFA to double the number of kindergarten students they accept each year, from the current 100 children to 200.
Twelve-year-old Salma says,
“Our new center is so big, beautiful and vibrant. It has so much space to learn, play and grow for us and for new kids.
“Today was the first day of the only summer camp I have ever attended. The camp is designed to teach us English, and I can’t wait! Today’s fun day was such a unique experience full of many entertaining activities.
“My friends and I had so much fun. I hope the center does a summer camp every year."
“My friends and I had so much fun."
