Providing comprehensive protection and MHPSS support services for children in Jabalia and Gaza areas The project idea comes in response to the protection needs of children, where the project targets vulnerable children aged 6-17 of both sexes, including PWDs in Gaza amp Jabalia, as these areas most affected by the last Israeli aggression in May 2021 on the Gaza Strip. 

This intervention is characterized by the provision of integrated services through partnership among 3 organizations active in the field of child protection amp MHPSS support, including (1) Al-Awda Health and Community Association (AWDA)  for its extensive experience in the provision of child protection amp PSS services, (2) Atfaluna Society for the Deaf Children (ATFALUNA) as it has deep experience in the protection and PSS services, especially inclusive of PWDs, (3) Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP) which has specialized experience in the field of MH services.   The importance of this partnership lies in expanding access of children to the services, exchanging experiences, complementarity amp standardization of work approach. 

In order to provide services with the best quality while ensuring the maximum protection of the targeted children during receiving the services, the project teams will undergo a series of training, where AWDA will be responsible for organizing a training course on the work manuals (I Deal, Big Deal, She deal, and Parents Deal) adding to PSEA policy, while ATFALUNA will train teams on inclusion of children with disabilities during service delivery.  As for the GCMHP, it will train the teams on detecting children who suffer from psychological disorders, the referral mechanism, group amp individual psychological counselling.  GCMHP will also provide supportive supervision sessions to AWDA amp ATFALUNA project staff.

As for the project services, AWDA amp ATFALUNA will provide the following: (I) structured psychosocial support sessions, (II) Group psychosocial support sessions, (III) individual psychosocial sessions, (IV) case management amp referral services (V) home visits to children suffering from psychological problems to study their social conditions within their families, (VI) recreational trips to children amp their mothers. While GCMHP will provide MH services amp will conduct psychodrama sessions.

The project will also focus on raising awareness among the community amp the children’s caregivers about child protection issues through awareness sessions, audio, visual amp readable educational materials.  Knowing that some of these materials will be adapted to PWDs. 

It is worth mentioning that 50% of the children that will be targeted by ATFALUNA will be children with disabilities, while 25% of children with disabilities will be targeted for the services of AWDA amp 15% of GCMHP.   Moreover, and in response to gender needs amp to provide maximum protection to girls, including those with disabilities, staff of both sexes will be hired amp She Deal manual will be used while working with girls. 

To protect children from SEA, the team will be briefed on the PSEA policy amp they will sign on this policy, adding to sign on employment contracts that including a clause about PSEA, to oblige them to implement the services in accordance with the principles of the PSEA. 

In applied of the principle of community accountability, the community has been involved in the project design amp needs assessment phase (the needs assessment report is uploaded at the doc. Tab) amp will be involved during the project implementation, monitoring amp evaluation.  In order to allow the beneficiaries of the project services to provide feedback, suggestions or complaints including SEA complaints, they will be informed of the system in force of the three partners. 

To enhance the coordination with the relevant stakeholders, the idea of the project has been discussed with the Protection Cluster Coordinator, the Child Protection Sub-Working Group Coordinator amp the Ministry of Social Development (a support letter has been uploaded at the doc.  Tab).