Psychosocial Support Program PRCS enhances cooperation and love amongst pupils

“I started helping my siblings at home and to better understand my friends and classmates. My relationship with my teachers improved, my grades got better and I became a leader in my community”. This is how Basel Diab from the six grade at Al Fundok (West Bank) elementary school summed up the impact of PRCS’ psycho social Program.

Mutual understanding has increased at home and at school. Our problems decreased, my parents trust me and“ depend on me more, while my relations with everyone improved”, he said. Basel, who benefited from the Elementary School-Based Psychosocial Support Program implemented by PRCS in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, added: “I have time for my studies and for other activities. I finish my homework early so I can have enough time for other things. My academic achievement improved. I have taken part in the Program’s activities which spread tolerance and love through games. I liked the workshops that were organized, and we all spoke about our feelings through drawing and sports activities. I have also participated in the Youth Program implemented by the Psychosocial Support Program in Qalqilia and Tulkarem, which helped me become a leader at school, in the classroom and in my neighborhood. I also started coordinating for community-based activities in my village”.

School Became More Attractive
Tens of other pupils from this school benefited from the Elementary School-Based Psychosocial Support Program implemented by PRCS during the past six years, spreading love and tolerance and enhancing cooperation and understanding amongst them.
 

Abdallah Odeh, Basel’s classmate, said: “PRCS spreads love and cooperation among us. We were happy when we played, friendships and mutual understanding increased. PRCS provided us with very useful support and we hope that it will continue to do so because this makes us happy”.
 

Mouna Baliyeh, another classmate, said the Program made her more at ease at both her home and her school. “PRCS made us more tolerant and cooperative. It made school more attractive and pushed us to study more. Our parents also started visiting our school more often”, she said.

Happier Families
Mohamad Diab, Basel’s father, underlined the role played by parents within this Program. “Children became more self-confident. PRCS spread cooperation and understanding amongst them. I became my children’s friend and we started working together to face all problems, even big ones. Basel’s grades got better and so did his relations with his friends. He became more organized and his role as a leader became apparent at home. We now depend on him much more. The Program strengthened his personality and self-confidence and I find him happier than before. All this has a positive impact on his mental state and on our family”, he added. Speaking about her son, Basel’s mother said: “His personality changed. He is more helpful and asks for our opinion about many things. His grades improved, he expresses his feelings much better and he intervenes to settle problems between his friends. We now trust him enough to allow him to leave the house alone, go to Qalqilia and help at home. PRCS increased his self-confidence as well as our trust in him”, she added.

Satisfied Teachers
Aziz Kashou’, School Principal, underlined the very clear mutual understanding between students and teachers six years after the Program started. “For six years I have been cooperating with PRCS and I have felt just how positive this Program is. Teacher-pupil and pupil-pupil relations improved as the Program bridged the gap between teachers and pupils as well as between pupils themselves. Moreover, pupils’ school achievements improved. The Program also brought families to the school. Parents’ performance improved and they are now more cooperative”, he added.

Continuous Support
Nahed Shtewi -who supervises this Program-, said that PRCS is developing it and engaging pupils in another Program called the Youth Program, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the local community. “The Program came to our schools, released children’s talents and spread tolerance and love. Our school is one of tens of schools where PRCS helps put a smile on children’s faces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Program spreads cooperation and tolerance through a series of workshops and sessions which promote arts and games. Pupils are also engaged in leadership activities and in community-based events in their neighborhoods and villages. The aim of these programs is to turn pupils into leaders and volunteers serving their community”.

Focus
The Elementary School-Based Psychosocial SupportProgram is implemented by the PRCS with support from “ ECHO” and in partnership with the Danish, French, Italian and Icelandic Red Cross Societies as well as in cooperation with the Palestinian Directorates of Education.
 

Implemented by PRCS since 2002, the Program is based on psychosocial workshops targeting pupils aged 10 to 15. A total of 20 sessions are provided with a view to enhancing cooperation amongst pupils, increasing their ability to express themselves and to listen to others as well as promoting tolerance and play in a safe environment.
The Program is implemented in marginalized areas as well as in areas affected by the Wall of Separation and settlements. It benefits more than 3000 pupils per year in Jerusalem, Hebron, Qalqilia, Tulkarem, Nablus, Jenin, Toubas and Qabatia.