| Country: |
Lebanon |
|
Organization: |
Najdeh Association |
| Address: |
P.O. Box: 113-6099
Beirut, Lebanon. |
| Tel: |
(961-1) 302 079 |
| Fax: |
(961-1) 703 357 |
| E-mail: |
association@najdeh.org.lb |
| Coverage: |
Lebanese NGO, working in and around Palestinian camps in Lebanon.
Beirut: Shatila & Borj El Barajneh;
Sidon: Ein El Helweh, Sidon; Ein el Helweh Carpentry;
Tyre: Borj El Shemali & Buss;
Beqaa: Saadnayal, Bar Elias & Baalbeck;
Tripoli: Baddawi & Bared. |
| Objectives: |
Empowering women and young women, the most disadvantaged element of the Palestinian community to become self-reliant, and hence contribute to the development of their community in Lebanon. |
| Approach: |
Training and raising awareness. |
| Intervention Sectors: |
Education & Employment: Vocational training; literacy programs; ICT literacy; non-traditional fields.
Health: Reproductive health; safe motherhood; family planning.
Young women’s rights: Social and economic rights; gender based violence. |
| Leadership: |
Young women in leadership
positions--> None |
| Networking: |
Member of a Regional platform: AISHA (The Arab Women’s Forum) |
| Project: |
Vocational Training Programs. |
| Objectives: |
1. Affording young women with needed skills to secure employment and achieve self-sufficiency;
Empowering women and young women to play an active role in community development. |
| Brief: |
Najdeh runs 12 vocational training centers, across Lebanon, offering more than 100 courses per year. Vocational Training courses are geared towards market opportunities, given the severe employment restrictions on the Palestinian community in Lebanon. |
| Duration: |
Ongoing since 1978 |
| Location: |
Beirut: Shatila & Borj El Barajneh; Sidon: Ein El Helweh, Sidon; Ein el Helweh Carpentry; Tyre: Borj El Shemali & Buss; Beqaa: Saadnayal & Baalbeck; Tripoli: Baddawi & Bared. |
| Target Group: |
The courses primarily target women and young women, however participants also include men (20-25%). An average of 1400 trainees and participants are trained per year. |
| Future Plans: |
Providing staff with regular training to improve their performance, according to quality specialization and trainees expectations. |
| Project 2: |
Reproductive Health and Domestic Violence Awareness. |
| Objectives: |
1. Empowering women and young women to gain control of their lives;
2. Promoting health awareness amongst women, young women and their families. |
| Brief: |
Since 1997, Najdeh Association organizes on regular basis educational workshops on health topics of safe-motherhood, sexually transmitted infections, family planning and domestic violence. The program includes regular staff training on how to deal with issues and additional workshops on various topics requested by the participants. |
| Duration: |
Ongoing since 1997 |
| Location: |
Refugee camps in Beirut, Sidon, Tyre, Beqaa and Tripoli. |
| Target Group: |
Women and young women (age: 15-35) in all refugee camps where Najdeh operates. |
| Results: |
Program evaluation indicates that women and young women participants are eager to participate in the workshops in order to improve their situation. |
| Project 3: |
Study entitled: Domestic Violence among Refugee Communities in Lebanon. |
| Objectives: |
Examining the prevalence of domestic violence among refugee communities in Lebanon in order to formulate adequate recommendations and solutions. |
| Brief: |
In 1999, Association Najdeh conducted a survey, designed to respect cultural sensitivity, to review the type and extent of domestic violence among families whose children attend Association Najdeh’s kindergartens. The survey serves as a guide towards the development of more appropriate services to assist families. The outcome was published in a report “ Domestic Violence Among Refugee Communities in Lebanon ”, which examines the prevalence of the problem and presents a set of recommendations for action for the protection of battered women. Another study was conducted in 2001 to examine knowledge, attitudes among Palestinian refugees regarding domestic violence. The findings from this survey are being used to conduct community education on domestic violence and establish counseling services. |
| Target Group: |
Women and young women in refugee camps in Beirut, Sidon, Tyre, and Tripoli. |
| Challenges: |
1. Religious barriers & social stereotypes;
2. Engrained conceptions that domestic violence is a private issue. |
| Future Plans: |
To establish a shelter to ensure the protection of victims. |
