Implemented by KaramaKarama Organization supports Palestinian refugee women and children to be the change makers in their communities. We are an NGO started in 2002, by refugees for refugees, in Deheishe Refugee Camp, Palestine.
Karama uses every chance to improve the educational services for children and women in Bethlehem area refugee camps as well as promote self-help, responsible leadership and creativity among our participants and volunteers. Karama's goal is to be a home of positive values and initiatives for the women and children of Palestine. |
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Aims of the Project1. Increase the food security of refugee families through the availability of fresh, organic and locally grown vegetables
2. Empower women by providing them with tools to work independently, to foster own initiative and creativity among the women and build their self-esteem. 3. Helping the women decrease their stress-levels and offer them the many physical and psychological benefits of gardening. 4. Decreasing the dependency of refugee families on external aid and stress the role women play in this process. |
Watch Palestinian women grow on their roofs.
What we do? |
Why Rooftop Greenhouses? |
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Karama seeks to make a difference in the lives of Palestinian refugees living under difficult conditions. With free access to educational and psycho-social services we explore, promote the talents, abilities, and skills of Palestinian children, adolescents and women in refugee camps.
Among many things; we run after school activities, including giving after school educational programs and special courses in the mid terms and final exams period for students. We arrange various workshops and activities for women on a steady basis to keep them connected. Over the past 10 years we have held summer camps for the children in refugee camps and we continue to do so. And now we climb the small rooftops of houses in refugee camps to produce fresh vegetables from their greenhouses. The project only involves the women from the camp who most need it; taking into account the economic and food security situation of their family through a questionnaire and home visit before selection. |
The idea of the project is to transform flat rooftops in refugee camps into organic farms of vegetables and herbs grown into long plastic tubes in a 20 square greenhouses. The women grow tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, peppers, parsley, thyme and other; the most used vegetables and herbs inside the Palestinian kitchen.
Access to these vegetables and herbs on their own roof, helps in increasing the food security of underprivileged refugee families. Moreover, the greenhouse is the foundation for a women-led food production business that will bring high-quality food products to the local (and possible international) markets. We aim to give the women the agricultural and management skills they need in order for them to completely run their greenhouse independently; starting from preparing its soil to tying their strings and harvesting their products. This project fosters independence and empowerment among the women; and the garden is a great place to start! |
Life in the Camps...Karama is currently active in 5 refugee camps, from the 19 camps situated on the West Bank. Since 1948 hunderd of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from their lands, villages and cities, causing currently almost 1 million registered refugees with the UNRWA on the West Bank only.
The refugee camps suffer from insufficient services and high concentration of food insecurity and unemployment. More than 1 in 3 families experiences poverty and 1 in 3 of the working age men & women is unemployed. Most families have very irregular salaries meaning they are always struggling to make ends meet. Life in the camp is often even harder for women, who also endure social/cultural restrictions that make it harder for them to exercise their rights. Women often face a heavy emotional burden, besides the worries of taking care of their families in a violent, often unsafe and poor environment. Large parts of the West Bank are inaccessible for Palestinians, limiting the agricultural sector greatly. While previously supporting themselves with plenty of food, Bethlehem families are now an importer of important food items like vegetables. This should be seen in the wider light of the occupation's impact of the Palestinian economy. If only access to Area C in the West Bank would be improved the Palestinian GDP could grow by 35%! |
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Being stronger - collectively & individuallyOur project participants benefit from a holistic set of interventions aimed at an overall improvement in their well-being; both socially, physically and economically.
Women receive practical skills training; both in hard skills (agricultural, business) and soft skills (self-empowerment, communication). The bi-weekly women groups aim to strengthen their bonds and provide a safe place while home visits allow for tailored interventions. Many of our participants have reported on the overall improvement of their psychological and physical health; keeping their spirits and bodies in a better shape! |
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Women-led
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Women - Led Production Unit and Store
Makken: " To Empower"
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Makken meets a social and market need, by creating employment and increasing availability of fresh and healthy products. Our women produce a variety of high-quality traditional Palestinian foods, meals, pastries, jams, and pickles, aside to organic and healthy products, spices, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
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Makken is the name of the unit, store and bakery.
Makken is Arabic for "to empower" which is the main purpose of this production unit. It is a place for women to be productive and lead a food making process. |
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