Project visit to Lebanon 11.-21.11.2014,
Kirsti Palonen and Sirkku Kivistö
During the project visits we monitore together with the staff of Beit Atfal
Assumoud (BAS) three development projects, which are co-supported by the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
This time we had 9 intensive and fruitful working days with BAS staff in main
office and in local centers.
Finnish-Arab Friendship Society (FAFS):
FGC Nahr el-Bared, thanks for Noha Chedid, Nawal El Sayed and Arda
Kashkashian for interesting discussion about your work.
The team members will contact the coordinators in FGC Beirut and check the
possibility to get some materials for the work. Also, there are needs to furnish
the rooms more suitable for working with children.
FGC Beddawi, team raised up the question of children with learning difficulties,
school aged, who cannot read nor write. Director Kassem Aina proposed a pilot
project, special class for 10-12 children, and will negotiate about it with
UNRWA and other actors. Thanks for Dr Rita Hosri, Dalal Shahrour and Rana
Ahdab for inspiring discussion.
From both Northern FGCs there are participants in the 7-weeks Family therapy
training, given by Yara Doumit.Naufal.
The situation of PRS children and families as patients was discussed in both
Northern FGCs. Legally the PRS children are not protected, they have more
vulnerable situation in case of abuse than PRS and Lebanese children.
In main center and FGC Beirut about FAFS activities
We checked together with financial department and coordinators in FGC Beirut
the modified budget 2014 for FAFS project “Mental health services for children
in Northern refugee camps in Lebanon” (supported by the Foreign Ministry,
proj. 85201601, 172 000 €).
With coordinator of the sponsorship program, Fatima Khaizaran, we planned
the survey and created a questionnaire to social workers about their
experience of sponsorship cooperation. Also there were discussions about good
practice of sponsorship cooperation with Dr Madeleine Taha, Liliane Younes,
social worker Ashwak Al Shaabi and Dir Kassem Aina and Dr Aziza Khalidi.
Updated the list of sponsorships with Fatima. Met five Family Happiness sponsored children in Nahr el Bared and Shatila centers.
Finnish Psychologists for Social Responsibility (FiPSR)
Project “Services fro Palestinian children with multiple special needs and their
families in Lebanon” (MSN)
The modified budget 2014 of MSN project (Ministry, project 85202503, 106
856 €) has been finalized through emails after meeting in September. The
budget is currently in the Ministry for approval.
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BAS asked to prepare the continuation project 2016-2018 for MSN-project.
This must be done during the spring months, and ready in May 2015. Project
should be planned using the experience of the current project.
Coordinators told, that classes for children with special needs would be helpful.
Dr Madeleine, assisted by Liliane and Pauline, prepares study about the
children with MSN, in special schools 2013-2014.
We planned, how to gather information about the school year 2014-2015 for
the progress evaluation. The progress report frame must be updated, and we
defined some more questions in the report form. The modification will be done
by Liliane and Dr Madeleine.
We did home visits with social workers to two individually sponsored children
with MSN.’
We did not get contact to Wissam Kheir to discuss about the unfinished tasks.
Kheir left BAS in February – March 2014. The coordination and evaluation work
is done by Dr Madeleine Badaro Taha and psychologist Liliane Younes.
Project “Mental health services for refugee children in South Lebanon”
(Southern FGCs)
The modified budget 2014 of this project (Ministry, project number 85202501,
145 480 €) was prepared in September meetings and finalized through emails.
The proposal is left to the Ministry 10.11.2014 and is currently in the process
for approval. We discussed the budget and the financial report 2014 in the
financial department and in the FGC Beirut.
FGC Saida, thanks for the informative team meeting to Dr Jihane Rohayem,
Ibtissam Khalil, Dima Saadeh, Mohamad Orabi, Joanne Abdallah (first day in
the center), Fatme Zabatt, Nada Al Zaher and Aya Shahrour, plus Abeer Masri
for catering. Worries about the kin marriages and genetic diseases are
common in relatively closed Palestinian community.
Dir Kassem Aina had during our visit meeting with some landlords about
additional premises for FGC Saida.
FGC El-Buss, we had opportunity to join for a while the training by Mr Ahmad
Ghanem of Handicap International. The training for FGC team was about
client-centered approach and strategic planning and documentation of the
work. In addition, we got information from Dir Khawla Khalff and Elie Abou
Chacra about the community based work practices, task shifting and home
station models. It came up, that whole team in FGC El-Buss applies the taskshifting model, but they have not had time to document the work. Proposals:
could the team members be interviewed and thus their experience could be
documented? These kinds of interviews could be seen as a staff development
method. Or could someone help team members to write some task-shifting
process as case description.
From Southern FGCs there are participants in the 7 weeks family therapy
training, given by Yara Doumit-Naufal.
Evaluation of the FAFS and FiPSR projects
Project evaluator, Dr Aziza Khalidi joined the visits in Nahr el-Bared and
Beddawi and in the FGC El-Buss. In meetings with her we defined that two
main themes are important in evaluation of the projects: a) protection,
survival and b) identity (individual and group identity).
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New tool for social workers of FGCs – story crafting
With contact person of storycrafting, Hanan Dabdoub, we planned the use of
storyrafting method in FGCs. Kirsti Palonen planned the frame: Listening to the
families -project. She wrote a proposal for story booklet, including information
about the method. She presented the idea in FGC Saida and in FGC El-Buss.
Meeting with Finnish Embassy – project for educational services of PRS
We met counselor Juha Rainne from Finnish Embassy and project advisor
Samira Kheirallah from Deutsche Gesellschaft für international
Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and heard about the GIZ cooperation with UNRWA, to
develop the psychosocial assistance scheme in UNRWA services.
About the project “Educational Services for the Palestinian Refugee Children
from Syria in Lebanon” we discussed with project coordinator Rania Khartabil.
Training plans for two coming years
We had opportunity to join in FGC Beirut in a planning meeting, where French
Dr Philippe Dicquemare and Ms Céline Guillaud presented the two years
training for FGC staff. The training has three components: 1) prevention 2)
diagnostics and 3) awareness raising. The training will start 15.1.2015. The
project budgets of FiPSR and FAFS enable this training, which seems adequate
to the needs of FGC staff.
Day by day program
Wednesday,
Main office, making the time schedule of the visit. Discussion
12.11.
about the possible survey to the social workers about the
sponsorship issues with Kassem and Fatima. Signing the
agreement of Hanna Leinonen for psychology internship.
Kassem accepted to cooperate with Inna Pääkkönen on he
master’s thesis plan “Comics bridge” and with Circus Magenta
planning a circus training project in Lebanon and some other
countries.
Delivery of the materials and letters of sponsors, delivery of
knitwear sent by Solidarity stitches.
Delivered presents of the sponsors to Fatima Khaizaran.
Meeting in FGC Beirut, first with the Santé Sud, Mr Yves
Bernaud and Ms Celine Guillaud about the training program for
FGC staff 2015-2016, then with Dr Madeleine and Liliane about
the study of sponsored MSN children 2013-2014. We spoke
also about the good practice of sponsorship and especially
about the communication between sponsors and the children.
Thursday
8.30 to FGC Saida with Celine Guillaud from Sante Sud. We
13.11.
attended the team meeting, where new and follow-up cases
were discussed by Dr Jihane, Ibtissam, Fatmi, Dima,
Mohammed, Aya and Nada, and the preparations of several
treatment and advisory groups were checked. We met speech
therapist Joanne Abdullah, who was for the first day in FGC.
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Friday 14.11.
Saturday
15.11.
Sunday
16.11.
Monday
17.11.
Tuesday
Director Bahaa Tayyar from Ein el-Helweh center came and we
discussed about some sponsorship cases. She also told about
the plans how to prevent the tensions to grow between
Lebanon Palestinian and Syrian Palestinian children.
In the evening we met Dr Aziza Khalidi and discussed about
the evaluation of the projects.
Visit to Shatila center, mediated greetings from Global Social
Work and from intern Laura Moilanen to the social workers.
Met Adam Al Omary and Haneen Al Gush, who have sponsors
from Finland through Finnish-Arab Friendship Society. Director
Jamile Shehade told about the activities and service for PRS
families.
FGC Beirut at 12 team meeting and afterwards review of the
projects/outputs with coordinators Dr Madeleine Taha and
psychologist Liliane.
Sirkku Kivistö had a meeting in the morning in financial
department. BAS gave the list of the costs of tuition fees of
MSN-project to FiPSR. With Abu Talaat all the modificated
project budgets were checked and discussed about the
preparations for the annual financial reports. Then we both
had a meeting in Embroidery Center with Hanan Dabdoub
about the storycrafting project, how to integrate it to the
social work in FGCs.
In Shatila center we had opportunity to participate in birthday
party for three 5-year old children. The party was prepared by
parents. Then we met two sponsored children, sponsored
through FAFS: Adam Al Omary and Maryam Nasser. We met
also Mustafa Shehade, sponsored through FiPSR in MSNproject. We shared the lunch with social workers and some
kindergarten teachers in Shatila center.
We planned the storycrafting project and wrote minutes about
the MSN monitoring and evaluation plan and the modification
of the progress report form. Then we had a pleasant invitation
in Bchamoun to Dr Aziza Khalidi, who is evaluator of the FGC
projects.
We planned the rest of the days with Director Kassem Aina,
then worked on the survey questions for social workers about
the sponsorship program. This we did with Fatima Khaizaran.
With Rania Khartabil we discussed about the project funded by
the Finnish Embassy. Also some more information about the
MSN tuition fees paid for the special schools 2013-2014. Then
we met in Cafe Dar project advisor, Ms Samira Kheirallah,
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (giz)
German cooperation and Mr Juha Rainne. The subject of the
meeting was the assistance for PRSs in Lebanon and
mainstreaming UNRWA psychosocial services.
Main center, current issues managed. Then joining the family
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18.11.
Wednesday
19.11.
Thursday
20.11.
therapy training for FGC staff in FGC Beirut, trainer Ms Yara
Doumat-Naufal and 20 attendees. In main center again
modifications to sponsorship survey, and discussion with Mr
Samer Nasser about the FGC costs in audit report. Then to
Shatila center and with social workers Zuhour Akkawi and
Jamile Shehadeh visits to Mona Jerbi’s and Mustafa
Shehadeh’s families; the children are sponsored through MSN
projec. In the evening with Kassem Aina visit to Dr Najla
Bashour, the chairperson of NISCVT board.
FGC Nahr el Bared, meeting with speech therapist Noha
Chedid, special educator Nawal el Sayed and psychologist Arda
Kashkasian. Also, mother and sister of one sponsored child
was met, and greetings to the sponsor sent.
Afternoon we visited Beddawi FGC. Dr Rita Hosri, social worker
Dalal Shahrour and special educator Rasna Ahdab shared the
meetings. First, the right to education for children with special
needs or learning difficulties was discussed, screening
activities in KGs, campaign against drugs and early marriages.
Dr Aziza Khalidi, evaluator of the FGC project shared both
visits.
FGC El-Buss, participating in the training of Handicap
International HI with FGC staff. HI finances the work in FGC El
Buss until 2017. Dir Khawla Khalaff informed about the task
shifting activity of the center, psychologist Elie Abu Chacra told
some example of the task shifting. Kirsti Palonen presented
the storycrafting method to Khawla Khalaff and
representatives of HI, Mr Ahmad Ghanim and Ms Noura
Khaled. On the way back we discussed with Dir Kassem Aina
and Dr Aziza Khalidi about the themes of the HI training. We
also had meeting with Dr Aziza to plan the evaluation process.
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