Sports for Beautiful Change
Location
A first project in Aida camp to provide a space and possibility for women and girls empowerment through sports including fitness, dance and Gym
About You
Location
Project Street Address
Project City
Project Province/State
Project Postal/Zip Code
Project Country
Your idea
Sport
Dance
Year the initative began (yyyy)
2006
YouTube Upload
Project URL (include HTTP://)
Positioning of your initiative on the mosaic diagram:
Which of these barriers is the primary focus of your work?
Stereotyping that excludes
Which of the principles is the primary focus of your work?
Include through sport
If you believe some other barrier or principle should be included in the mosaic, please describe it and how it would affect the positioning of your initiative in the mosaic:
The lack of space is a major problem. After the building of the separation wall by Israeli government, the space on the camp’s side of the wall has become a garbage collection area. My aim is to clean this area and build playgrounds for Volleyball, Basket Ball and fooball, and a public garden. This will be done in collaboration with the popular committee in the camp, as a job creation project. Children (girls and boys) shall benefit from these playgrounds. In addition, because of lack of space, we hope to build a new floor for women which will include a fitness and dance space for women.
Name Your Project
Sports for Beautiful Change
Describe Your Idea
A first project in Aida camp to provide a space and possibility for women and girls empowerment through sports including fitness, dance and Gym
Innovation
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence?
A first project in Aida camp to provide a space and possibility for women and girls empowerment through sports including fitness, dance and Gym
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field?
This was the first sports center for women in a refugee camp in the west bank. Mostly sports are for boys, and in a refugee camp which has a conservative community, the place for girls is mostly in the house. Apart from some volleyball and basketball training in the School, there is no other activity for girls between the ages of 6-15, and further, the Volleyball team is for girls from 13-15 years old, leaving only basketball as an activity. So our innovation is to give opportunity for other girls as well as older girls and women to practice sports, in camp where there are no playgrounds or space for such project.
What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change?
The first problem is space, so we provided our only multipurpose hall to be used 3 days a week for women fitness, dance and table tennis training for girls. The conservative vision that girls/women place is at home. This project will help break this stereotypes, and will also give women and girls an opportunity to meet and work in a team in a positive and constructive environment. The use of girls school playground will be possible for Volleyball training.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing?
Announcement in the camp, contact schools, and meeting women/girls in Alrowwad. Register interested participants: Women above 18 years old, and girls from 6-15 years old. Selection of trainers, and employment of project manager and coordinators. Start training, with a follow up by a social/psychological worker in the center to follow up the impact on beneficiaries. Organize public meetings in presence of families and social and religious responsible in the community to have as well more support from the local community.
Fitness and dance- continue the program started in 2006 with Nike-Ashoka initiative.
The indoors space will be provided by alrowwad for Dance, Table tennis and Fitness. Volleyball shall be in the playground of the girls school .
How do you plan to grow your innovation?
Building a floor for women: supervised by women committee, charge fees from those who can afford it. Sports and educational programs to be implemented for fund generation. The total cost for building a floor (240 square meters) and equip it is about 160,000 US$
Clean the garbage area and build playgrounds: This would involve heavy machinery to clean the space and transfer the garbage outside, and then build the playgrounds. This would cost about 90,000 US$. The preparation of teams, and starting competition with different schools in Bethlehem area for Volley ball and Basket ball, as well as football. Additional requirements for training and follow up for a year would be around 45,000 US$. We look for donors to fund also these initiatives
Once this project is launched and playgrounds are built, we will start launching competitions in Bethlehem area, and then enlarge the circle to the West bank, and create jobs for people in the camp.
Impact
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact.
Improved physical, emotional & psychological health, overcome depression, positive role models, enhanced self-image, self-esteem, confidence, new jobs
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries?
Aims to empower women by allowing them to improve their physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. Enhanced fitness will allow women to respond to stressful, demanding situations with confidence in their own abilities. This project has proven in the past six months to be a great success and fulfilled an urgent need for the women beneficiaries. In the first 2 months, 12 women have registered for the fitness training. On the third month, we had more than 25, and later more. On early March, in the 4th month of the project, we were obliged to duplicate the sessions for women, 2 groups of 25 women each. Each group has 3 weekly sessions of 2 hours. Most of the participant women are married. The participants' age ranges from 20 to 50. In addition, girls were from 9 to 15 years old in the dance program, and boys and girls from 6-12 years old in the Gym. This project will provide jobs for at least 5 people.
How many people have you served directly?
50 Women, 60 girls as trainees. 5 new job creations: trainers, coordinators.
How many people have you served indirectly?
Families, schools and kindergartens: 4000 people
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation?
This project of great impact on the harmony and the balance within the community at large, and within the family in particular. It builds up a good environment between family members, and community members . This is because of the positive impact that it creates within the women and girls who will see themselves included and not excluded because of their activity. This project on its small level would create new jobs, and more jobs once the building of the c enter and playgrounds take place.
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact?
The main obstacles is the adequate space to extend the project and the necessary funding to build the floor for women sports center, as well as do the work to build the playgrounds.
There are also some local barriers that include opposition from a certain part of the community to involve girls in the open field in terms of sports which we did solve partially during our last project.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Sustainability
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)?
Ashoka and Nike are possible seed funders for the project. The first part of the project was partially funded through them. Some other funders are possible to be involved like Women Win and others probably.
In terms of building and playgrounds we are sending proposals but didn’t get any responses yet.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization.
Alrowwad, initiator of the "Beautiful Non-violent Resistance", is an independent, dynamic, community-based not-for-profit organization which strives to empower children and women by targeting behavior, knowledge, concepts and practices through beautiful and non-violent means. Alrowwad is community based and depended mainly on volunteerism.
Alrowwad targets the national community while focusing on children and women in the local community of Aida Camp and Bethlehem district. Alrowwad targets as well the international community at large to break the stereotypes and show another image of Palestinian people and culture. Alrowwad has actually 6 international volunteers and 9 national volunteers.
Actually 5 part time employees, 1 full time in Images for life and 10 full time in supportive education program.
In 2006, Annual Budget was about 180,000 US$. In 2005, Annual budget was about 92,000 US$.
What is the potential demand for your innovation?
Funding to build the infrastructures and space needed, and adequate funding for trainers and equipment.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability?
1. High rate of unemployment (> 70% in the camp): people can't afford to pay for the training.
2. Poverty and priority is given to basic needs rather than "luxury" needs like sports and arts.
3. Lack of external funding support.
The Story
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story.
The origin of the innovation came from a need and a discussion with a group of women, mostly mothers of children in arts or supportive education program and board members in Alrowwad (Alrowwad board is composed of 3 women and 4 men).
I am holder of a doctorate in Biological and Medical Engineering/ When I was a child and till I finished my BSC I was a football player, table tennis player, head of the cultural and artistic committee in the youth center in the camp. I was also painter, poet, and actor. I got a scholarship to continue my studies in France, while doing my Master and PhD in Biological and Medical Engineering, I continued to follow up painting and theatre as actor, playwright and Director. I came back home after 9 years in France and founded Alrowwad Cultural and Theatre center in 1998 in Aida camp with some friends, as a way to defend our humanity and break the stereotypes diffused in the media about my people representing them as violent and terrorists, and a way to offer our children a peaceful and nonviolent way of expression and I called it “Beautiful nonviolent resistance”. My main concern in the children and women place in the society had led me in 2005 to quit my paying job as professor in Bethlehem University and Head of Microbiology lab in a Palestinian Pharmaceutical Company to volunteer in Alrowwad for 2 years before having been elected as Ashoka Fellow. I was elected as the first Ashoka Fellow in Palestine in 2006.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material.
Born in 1963 in AIda refugee camp in Bethlehem. Bsc in Biology at Bethlehem University an dthen Master and PhD in France in Biological and Medical Engineering. Playwright, Poet, Painter, Actor and director. Worked as Assistant professor in Bethlehem University and as Head of Microbiology in Beit Jala Pharmaceuticals company since 1994 until 2005.
See attached CV for more details. Elected as distinguished volunteer in 2004 By Sharek-UNDP initiative.
How did you hear about this contest and what is your main incentive to participate? (this is confidential)
I am an Ashoka fellow, so I heard through Ashoka.
Affiliation (please list all that apply)
Ashoka Fellow
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Annual Report 2006 030907 2.pdf | 857.01 KB |
 | aabusrour said: Thank you Stephen for your comments. I guess we share common ideas about the need to make visble what is really clear for most of us, ... about this Competition Entry. - 1494 days ago read more > |
| aabusrour said: Thank you Ziba for the comment and the link and you wishes. We have been actually trying to transform a space left behind after the ... about this Competition Entry. - 1494 days ago read more > |
| akinfos said: The concept of women empowerment has been something that has bordering my life for the past five years. I don't see the reason why are ... about this Competition Entry. - 1497 days ago read more > |
| ziba said: Hi Abdel Fattah! Happy New Year to you! Here is wishing for a more peaceful future! I wanted to point you toward an entry that I ... about this Competition Entry. - 1497 days ago read more > |
| aabusrour said: hi Heather, good to hear from you. It was a great experience meeting you all and working as well in participatory video ... about this Competition Entry. - 1510 days ago read more > |
| Kevin Carroll K... said: Kevin Carroll Changemakers Featured Commentator Sport for a Better World Competition Abdelfattah, please keep me posted on your ... about this Competition Entry. - 1533 days ago read more > |
| cameron said: Hi Abed Congratulations on your entry. It was so lovely to meet you in Casablanca and see the videos and photos of your work. I am so ... about this Competition Entry. - 1533 days ago read more > |
| aabusrour said: Hi Kevin Thank you for your support. I did write to Cameron, and hope he can be helpful. I didn't receive any response yet from his ... about this Competition Entry. - 1538 days ago read more > |
| Kevin Carroll K... said: Kevin Carroll Changemakers Featured Commentator Sport for a Better World Competition Abdelfattah, you should most definitely ... about this Competition Entry. - 1545 days ago read more > |
| aabusrour said: Thank you Kevin for your comments on the impact of Alrowwad work. I didn't hear previously about Architectures for Humanity, and I will ... about this Competition Entry. - 1547 days ago read more > |
