Background Information

Association Najdeh is registered since 1978 with the Ministry of the Interior as a Lebanese social organization with headquarters in Beirut. It consists of a General Assembly that elects an Administrative Bureau, which in turn assigns the members of the Executive Board. Association Najdeh is a Lebanese NGO that works in and around the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, targeting primarily women and children. Najdeh has projects in Beirut, Tripoli (north), Sidon (south), Tyre (south-south) and Beqaa (central north).

Najdeh offers several programs including vocational training, literacy, scholastic tutorials and English language classes, as well as social assistance by providing educational scholarships and health care for the women and their families. Loans for income generating projects are also disbursed to eligible beneficiaries, while the pre-school education program encompasses several kindergartens and a nursery, Simultaneously, the projects' consciousness raisingcommunity ctivities on basic human rights and civil righs also contribute in society building and community participation.

Association Najdeh is also a member of the Palestinian NGO Forum as well as the Emergency Hospitalization Committee. It is a member of regional and international networks, such as AISHA (Arab Women NGO Forum) and the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children (USA).

Pre-School Education Project:

The pre-school education program targets around 600 children per scholastic year and an additional 600 for the summer educational activities. The KG children are between the ages three to five, while those participating in the summer activities are between the ages seven to fourteen.

* Children: Center & Regional Placement per annum:

Vocational Training Project:

The Vocational Training Section program includes vocational training courses, literacy classes, as well as scholastic tutorials. Association Najdeh maintains 12 vocational training (VT) centers, including a carpentry, in all parts of Lebanon.

Targeted specifically at Palestinian women living in or near refugee camps, trainees also include men (20 -25%) as well as Lebanese of both genders (15- 20%). Most courses are geared towards market opportunities in Lebanon given the severe restrictions on Palestinian employment -in Lebanon generally and the circumstances of Palestinian women particularly.

* VT Centers: Regional Distribution:

VT courses offered by Najdeh include: Sewing, Hairdressing, Office Management, Word Process-Ing, Accounting, Technical Drawing, Interior Decoration, Carpentry General Electricity, Photography, and Small Enterprise Management. Estimated VT course participants per year is 850. Graduate job placement is at 30-35%.

Complementary Education Project:

The Complementary Education program includes classes in Literacy (adult education), Scholastic tutorials (for school children), and English language. These are carried out in Najdeh's VT centers in the five regions. Total course participants per year is approx. 550.

Social Affairs Project:

The Social Affairs program provides educational scholarships (small fees for schools and vocational training) as well health care for women and their families (small fees for medications and surgery). Housing and shelter is also on its program agenda. The Social Affairs Section further offers temporary or longer term sponsorships for the most deprived families. The SA Section maintains 6 branches, serving both refugee camps and displaced areas. The planned number of grants is 361 for 325 families per annum. As observed, the number of assistance (361) is slightly higher than the number of assisted families (325). This is due to the fact that the same family may receive more than one grant (e.g. medical sponsorship and school fees). Since 1997, the Social Affairs Project has adopted a new program consisting of educational workshops on reproductive health issues.

* Social Affairs Project: Advanced grants per annum: details/center:

Income Generating Project:

Association Najdeh's Income Generating Projects (loan program) also includes production activities within existing Najdeh training and social centers. These include working units in the Carpentry workshop in Ein El Helweh camp and a Basket-Weaving project in the Wavel camp of Baalbeck.

From 1994 to 1996, forty-seven project loans were disbursed. Most (72%) of the projects are doing well. Of these thirty-four successful projects: twelve are slowly repaying, and twenty-two are repaying on regular basis.

Embroidery Project:

The Embroidery Project was Najdeh's first project. It was able to reach selfsufficiency and is now considered as an economic project. Najdeh's embroidery project, AL Badia, includes two embroidery workshops in Ein El Helweh (Sidon, south) and Rashidiyeh (Tyre, south-south) camps. In addition, there are small working groups of embroiderers in other camps (Bared & Baddawi in Tripoli, north, Shatila in Beirut, Mieh Mieh in Sidon and Borj El Shemali & Buss in Tyre). This project engages a total of 77 Palestinian women in economic productivity. Al Badia has two local marketing outlets (shops) in Beirut and an international outlet (individuals/solidarity groups) in Europe, USA and Canada.

Additional Notes:

Najdeh regularly organizes additional activities for its beneficiaries. These activities are open to all interested members in the community. They include seminars/workshops on issues relating to health, environment, social problems, human rights, women's rights and children's rights.

Najdeh mostly relies on donations from European organization. It also has donor partners in the US and Canada. In addition, Najdeh covers around 10% of its budget from its self-income (participant fees).

(Information courtesy of Association Najdeh - June 18, 1998)