RAMALLAH, July 27, 2009 (WAFA)- Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Monday its community centers provided services to 20300 persons over 3 years

In 2006, with funding from the EU and the Spanish Red Cross, PRCS created five community centers within the Youth and Volunteers Department aimed at providing services and carrying out diverse health and humanitarian programs to the benefit of all Palestinians in the homeland and the Diaspora.

The five centers operate in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with a view to strengthening PRCS community work, reinforcing and promoting civil society, expanding voluntary work within the Palestinian community as well as integrating and strengthening PRCS health and social services to ensure they are provided in an efficient manner. Moreover, the centers provide alternative educational and training activities to the benefit of the population, especially children, youth and people with special needs. Activities are executed according to a new strategy that ensures mutual benefits to all target groups. As such, PRCS empowers Palestinians from the civil society; it disseminates the importance of voluntary humanitarian and ethical action within the Palestinian society according to sound bases, PRCS' principles and IHL rules.

The centers, known as 'Manafeth', help develop civil society members and spread voluntary action in targeted Palestinian communities by providing the required supplies and assessing community needs and capacities. Events held include training programs, training of trainers, disaster preparedness methods, psychosocial support, leadership skills training courses, cultural and social activities such as Dabkeh performances as well as photography and Folklore exhibitions. Groups from these centers take part in marking international events such as the International Volunteer Day, Women's Day, International Children's Day, International Day for the Elderly, International Youth Day and Land Day. They also organize environmental activities including cleaning of streets, painting on walls, olive harvesting, tree planting, community-based health activities such as open health days, health lectures, blood donation and awareness-raising campaigns.

The centers hold courses and workshops for children and the youth in the following fields: arts, computer studies, languages, psychosocial support, educational programs for students with learning difficulties, monthly adult health programs targeting men and women as well as literacy programs. A total of 20300 people directly benefit from these activities, including 1800 volunteers aged 15 to 30, 7500 children under 18, 1000 elderly persons -over 65 - from both sexes and 10000 persons aged more than 16. A total of 101500 persons indirectly benefit from these activities.