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THE NEED
 While the most recent conflict has hurt all residents of this region, the closure of the Palestinian Territories has especially placed enormous restrictions on the economic and educational opportunities for Palestinians. Unemployment is rampant throughout the land and reality is grim for breadwinners trying to provide for their families.
There are few to no parks, sports fields, or playgrounds in these areas. As a result, organized activities for children and youth are rarely available and are virtually non-existent for the poor.
The lack of constructive recreational outlets for this multitude of frustrated youth has produced dire results.  Many kids find themselves simply roaming the streets out of boredom looking for “something to do”. From this boredom stems discontentment and from this discontentment comes resentment. Teens are often the instigators of the violent Palestinian demonstrations we see in the news. To make matters worse, these teenagers are often the targets of recruitment by violent organizations.
WHY WE ARE HERE
Paidia International Development’s goal in the West Bank is to strengthen individual communities by focusing our efforts on the area’s children and young adults. Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders.
Paidia will build and facilitate adventure recreation centers for the children and teenagers of these distraught areas. These centers will include fun, yet educational activities such as high and low ropes courses, climbing walls, zip lines, as well as traditional playground equipment. The adventure centers will offer weekly programs for children and teens, as well as camps during the summer, putting smiles on the faces of thousands of disadvantaged children throughout the year.
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Although giving children a glimpse of joy in the midst of tragedy is a worthy ambition in itself, entertainment is not the answer to these problems and that is why Paidia offers so much more.
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Education through Recreation for Mobilization
Paidia uses the medium of recreation to teach children and youth to better themselves, their environment, and the community around them.
Paidia mobilizes groups of children and young adults to help the relief and development effort within their own community. This local youth engagement will focus on the most crucial issues in the West Bank, including environmental clean-up and maintenance and community service projects for the needy. Children will have the opportunity to cultivate leadership and business skills for the future development of their community through skill development as they manage these community development initiatives.
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Paidia uses one of the most unique and effective ways to engage the world’s children and youth.
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 The contribution of hundreds of children and young adults to the development of their society not only has an overwhelming effect on the community but also on the youth themselves. Paidia’s unique process of education, recreation, and mobilization will help benefit present-day Palestinian society as well as create responsible and productive members for the future generation.
Through this revolutionary three-tiered process of education, recreation, and mobilization, Paidia is helping the children and youth of the West Bank pave the way for a better and brighter future.
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