Promote H2 restricted area schools to be used as community centers after school hours through upgrading school spaces and implementing extracurricular activities. This project was approved by the 2019 Education HRP (HPSE19-EDU-150611-1). Action Against Hunger (AAH), in partnership with Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo (VIS), aim to target the most vulnerable  children in primary schools located in Hebron H2, one of the most affected areas of the West Bank and identified as priority area in the 2019 HPF Second Standard Allocation Strategy. Specifically, the proposed activities will be implemented in the restricted zones of H2 area, and mainly in the neighborhoods surrounded by Israeli forces, where Palestinians including students and their families and teachers are exposed to settlers’ violence, soldiers’ harassment at checkpoints and attacks on schools.
The proposed intervention aims to improve spaces in 4 schools in H2 restricted area (Rabea, Al Nahda, Al Ibrahemieh, Al Faihaa shools) to become safer, during and after school hours and to be adapted to engage children and the wider community in different activities after school and during summer. In order to transfer the schools to community centers during those times, extracurricular activities will be conducted after school hours in the 4 aforementioned schools and 1 additional school (Qurtoba) whose spaces are already suitable to host these activities (see Annex - Targeted schools). The extracurricular activities will also attract children from the surrounding neighborhoods and will contribute to make the schools a hub for different art, sports and educational activities. 

The main proposed activities include a) Rehabilitation of school facilities to be safer, more comfortable, friendly and joyful spaces, b) Environmental campaigns that include environmental clubs, theater shows and environmental awareness sessions for children, c) Educational, artistic and sports activities such as sports training and competitions, art therapy and drama workshops. Besides relieving the stress from external threats, these activities will give children the opportunity to improve their sports and art skills and educational knowledge. AAH will conduct school rehabilitation and upgrading while VIS will take the lead on psychosocial activities. They will enter an agreement with two local organisations Yes Theatre and Al Mahawer Charitable Society (only Palestinian organization created and located in H2), responsible for the theatrical and sports activities.

This intervention is time critical for 1,130 students to realize their right to education in Hebron H2 area, which in 2018 and 2019 was the area the most affected in terms of violations against education. Following the withdrawal of over 60 international TIPH monitors early 2019, a huge gap was left in human rights monitoring and protection especially for school children, which has heightened the risk of further serious human rights violations being committed. During summer and winter holidays TIPH used to fund and facilitate extracurricular activities. Since their withdrawal, children no longer have safe places to play after school and during school break time, while tensions are increasing in the area. The proposed intervention will offer alternative spaces for children to gather when school finishes and will further serve as community centers in the afternoon and during holidays.