During the summer holidays most children go home to their living parent or to relatives if both parents are deceased. However, for the past few years, many parents and extended family members have refused to receive the children at home during the summer, due to the deteriorating economic situation and their lack of ability to find job opportunities and thus income to support the children when they come home.

Thus, during the summer 40 - 45 boys usually remain on the premises and the school has devised both educational and entertainment programs for these children, essentially to help to overcome any feeling of rejection that could result from their families inability to host or provide for them during the summer.  

Usually two kind and much appreciated volunteers arrive from Britain each summer to run the children’s activities.

The summer camp is very lively and the children enjoy a rang of exciting activities such as picnics, tours, arts, and handcrafts classes, Dabkeh (folk dancing) and music classes, which are held from June through August. Many are in cooperation with other non-governmental organisations in the area. For the past eight years, for example, Photoshop workshops have been held in cooperation with the Sa’eed Khoury IT Center  at the al-Quds University.

In addition. Last year included activities such as:
* a table tennis school
* arts classes
* language classes, Hebrew and English
* swimming lessons, once a week
* five trips
* two music shows, one held by an American
  group and the other by al-Sanabal Theater,
   a local group.

The summer camps also includes refreshment for the children, which is offered during a morning and lunch-time break.

We are confident that the children enjoy and appreciate the care and attention given to them during the summer period as many usually feel bored at home and prefer to return to school to benefit from these entertaining programs.

    Najwa Sahhar-Sayegh