The West Bank's Forgotten People

This article appeared in the Spring 2010 edition of The Star in the East.

Built into the side of a hill in a hidden back street in Ramallah is a rehabilitation centre offering education, training and employment to some of the most marginalised people in the West Bank.

The staff of the Annahda Rehabilitation Centre believe passionately in the right of disabled children to receive an education and be equipped with skills for an independent life. Although the surrounding area is run-down and impoverished, inside there is a colourful, lively atmosphere as the team bring lessons to life with crafts and games.

Annahda specialises in support for mild to moderate learning disabilities, and most of its students come from the three refugee camps on the outskirts of town. Although in theory the centre could charge for its services, very few students’ families can afford to contribute, and no one is ever turned away on financial grounds. There is a long waiting list, and the centre makes the most of its facilities by running two school sessions each day.

The school, comprising small classes with plenty of one-to-one teaching, is just one part of Annahda’s work – it also supports a further 32 children who are in mainstream education but come to Annahda for extra tuition in maths and Arabic. Another 35 receive support within their own schools, and staff also visit the homes of a small number of disabled children who have been excluded from school and for whom transport is difficult. Teenagers at Annahda have the opportunity to learn sewing, weaving, embroidery, home economics, carpentry and agricultural skills with a view to earning a living in the future.

Annahda also runs a workshop employing 12 adults with learning disabilities. They craft a range of high-quality educational toys that are used in schools and nurseries all over the West Bank, including the BibleLands-supported SIRA School in Bethlehem. Demand for these products is increasing all the time and the workshop makes a profit that is ploughed back into the centre’s activities. The employment opportunities available there are vital – before the intifada, it was possible for most people leaving Annahda to find a job, but in recent years the unemployment situation has become so bad that opportunities are scarce.

The Annahda Centre is small, but its work is far-reaching. Its combination of education, vocational training, community support and sheltered employment go a long way towards tackling the lack of understanding about disabled people’s lives, and to promote their rights throughout the West Bank.

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