Insights from Abdallah AlSwaitti

The “Together to Draw a Smile” winter environmental camp took place from January 6, 2024 to January, 11, 2024 in Deir Samet.

Our main objective was to alleviate psychological stress, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces amidst the prevailing atmosphere of war and gloom in the region. Additionally, we aimed to cultivate environmental awareness among the younger generation residing in an area burdened mainly by e-waste contamination and other forms of pollution.

Preparing the Winter Camp

During the preparatory meeting, we decided to divide the camp into four corners:

1. the Environmental Intellectual Corner, that I facilitated with Muntaha
2. the Young Photographer’s Corner, overseen by Mohammed Rajoub with assistance from Iman, and Walaa,
3. the Physical Education Corner, managed by Aya and Hamada
4. the Arts and Crafts Recycling Corner led by Felasteen and Fedaa, with the assistance of Marwan and Hammam.

Day 1

The first day was a resounding success. Falasteen has already begun recycling car tires to develop the school’s garden, achieving remarkable progress.

In the Environmental Intellectual Corner, we discussed the meaning of being a “little environmentalist”, we defined the environment and emphasized the importance of it, exploring the environmental situation in our region, and our responsibilities towards it.

At the end of the activity, children drew their ideal environment on one side and environmental violations on the other. The children’s creativity was astounding.

Mohammed Rajoub and Iman trained the children to use cameras, expressing admiration for their talents and identifying potential future photography stars. At the end of the day, we held a meeting to evaluate the first day and identify areas for improvement in the upcoming days.

Days 2 and 3

On Day 2 and 3, environmental awareness activities with older children led us to discuss environmental violations in their village. The sessions covered various pollution types, their causes, and proposed solutions.

Children showed a commendable level of insights and ideas. They actively discussed air pollution and its potential sources, including burning household waste, tires, and cables. Moreover, they delved into the health and environmental impacts of these practices, proposing practical solutions to reduce air pollution.

Among the solutions, children suggested redirecting waste to designated landfills instead of discarding it in valleys and eventually burning it. They emphasized the importance of sorting and recycling recyclable household waste and tires. They stressed the need to expand the municipality’s waste disposal capacity by increasing container sizes and the number of municipal waste collection vehicles.

They also suggested composting, minimizing the use of single-use plastic utensils in favour of wooden alternatives, and establishing a community committee to report violations or burnings directly to the municipality.

To deepen their connection with the subject, the group visited Wadi Gura burn site for photography training. They independently conducted interviews, talking about the burn site and suggesting solutions.

Later, during the arts and crafts session, the students, inspired by their learnings, engaged in recycling household waste, such as learning how to make beautiful artwork and things that can be re-purposed from plastic bottles, demonstrating a practical application of the knowledge gained from the discussion.

These discussions not only showcased the students’ deep understanding of environmental challenges but also revealed their innovative thinking and commitment to sustainable practices. Encouraging community involvement and proposing feasible solutions, the students demonstrated their potential to contribute significantly to environmental conservation efforts.

For the younger age groups, we set up collaborative drawing activities, pairing children to draw an environmentally harmful scenario and a solution, on the same paper. A competitive element was introduced by a timer, which added an extra layer of engagement, making the sessions both enjoyable and educational. Each group, immersed in the spirit of cooperation, evaluated another group’s drawing, and the top three rated drawings were selected for the exhibition of the camp.

A team from the Civil Defense visited and trained the children on evacuation procedures in case of emergencies or natural disasters. They provided awareness sessions about the preventive tools used for life-saving purposes.

Day 4 and 5

We focused on the identification of pollution hotspots in the village, explaining their dangers, and discussed ways to avoid or minimize exposure. We delved into safe practices around burn sites and the hazards of lead, detailing its impact on health and the environment.

The “Your health is important” brochure we had designed for a previous camp was distributed to the children. The following day, children returned proudly, having imparted knowledge to their parents. One student mentioned cautioning his cousin involved in scrap dismantling about lead exposure.

Alongside educational components, we incorporated games and competitive activities, such as “Last Man Standing,” a movement execution game. Another engaging activity involved word disassembly and recycling game, we divided students into groups and wrote the word “environment” on the board. Disassembling its letters, we tasked students with forming and writing words on the board using those letters. Each group took turns in each round, creating an engaging atmosphere. The children were so enthusiastic that we needed 10 minutes extra time to determine the winning group.

“Word Charades” was a hit, where students acted out terms and words that they learned during the previous classes without speaking, prompting others to guess. We also encouraged feedback, asking asked the children to send messages to the camp, expressing likes, dislikes, and any thoughts on their minds.

The camp featured an exhibition that proudly displayed the creative works of the children in various corners throughout the duration of the event. This served as a source of immense pride for the young participants. It became a tangible representation of the collective spirit and creativity fostered during the camp days. We also organized an appreciation event where certificates were presented to both the children involved in the camp and the dedicated volunteers.

Day 6: Visits & Celebration

The children highly anticipated the final day, which included a visit to the Deir Samet’s Museum. The director, Mr. Al Attal, introduced them to their ancestors’ history, tools, and clothing. The children were captivated by their heritage.

Next, we visited the archaeological area of Al Mourik Palace, taking a tour to acquaint the children with its historical significance and various facilities.

Our educational journey continued as we stopped at a scrap dismantling and sorting facility where I provided students with insights into the economic importance of electronic waste dismantling and recycling, and stressed the need for an environmentally friendly management for this sector.

Following this, we headed to a cable grinding facility, Safa Recycling. This turned suggestions the students had made a few days before -peeling copper cables instead of burning them – into reality. Unfortunately, the bus broke down on the way, requiring us to continue on foot for about 150 meters. Later, we had to replace the large bus with two smaller ones and divided the children into two groups.

Upon reaching Safa Recycling, we discussed its role as an environmentally friendly recycling example, touring the facility and meeting the owner, Ismael Abu Jheishah. This reinforced the understanding that we possess the means to process e-waste in a clean way. I was pleased when the students independently decided not to play with the plastic particles of the cables due to their potential lead content, a topic covered in our camp discussions.

Originally planned for Dura Park, our itinerary changed due to continuous rain throughout the day. Swiftly adapting to this, we coordinated with Dura Cultural Center to book its hall and secured the services of an entertainer. Additionally, we arranged for toys and costumes from Tatweer and a kindergarten owned by one of the camp facilitators.

At the Dura Cultural Center, the children engaged in various sports and entertainment activities, laughing and enjoying themselves until fatigue set in. Despite facing challenges, everything was successful, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of both the organizers and the children. The slogan, “Together to draw a smile” was not just a slogan; the camp was genuinely filled with laughter and joy.

Day 7: Last but not least!

On the following day of the trip, the volunteers undertook the task of cleaning the school, restoring it to its previous condition. Additionally, Falasteen’s team successfully finished revamping the school’s garden, crafting tables, chairs, and agricultural planters from recycled car tires.

Some reflections

This first environmental camp was a source of joy and learning for both children and volunteers. A few things particularly struck me:

• The enthusiastic participation of both older and younger students reflects a genuine interest in understanding and addressing environmental challenges.
• Engaging and hands-on activities, like photography, drawing, and recycling household waste and tires, are empowering. Not only do they deepen the understanding of environmental questions, but they also encourage a proactive attitude toward environmental stewardship.
• Maintaining an ongoing and thorough strategy for environmental education whether at schools or future camps is essential. This will cultivate a generation capable of understanding the complexities of ecological issues and of actively participating in the development of sustainable solutions. The success of these activities serves as a testament to the importance of hands-on, student-centric approaches in cultivating a sense of responsibility towards our environment.
• The Winter Camp was a success in alleviating psychological stress. It seamlessly blended fun and education, successfully pulling children out of the atmosphere of war and gloom that prevails in the region. The camp became a beacon of hope and brightness for them and more and more children kept joining until the end of the camp.

Gratitude and recognition:

In the end, I cannot forget to express my heartfelt gratitude to MERC who funded this initiative, to Sara, the initiator and driving force behind this camp, as well as to Nelly and Yaakov, whom we wished could join us. They supervised the camp remotely, providing invaluable support and obtaining the necessary approvals, and to our dear volunteers who were the shining stars of this camp, turning those days into beautiful memories;  Eman, Falasteen, Walaa, Aya, Fidaa, Linda, Hamam, Mohammed, Hamada and Marwan, you have been symbols of creativity, dedication, mutual respect, organization, fun and joy.