BEIRUT, Lebanon (The Daily Star), June 17, 2008:
By Zeynep Goksel, Special to The Daily Star
The Palestinian Authority (PA) in Occupied Palestine can hardly pay its bills, so its ability to provide social-welfare services to millions of destitute refugees scattered across the region is negligible. In addition to PA support, Lebanon's Palestinians rely on the sparse resources of the United Nations to provide services to some 300,000 refugees living in the country.
And often filling the leadership void regarding social services in the refugee camps in Lebanon are the various Palestinian civic organizations which struggle to alleviate the most acute social problems.
One such organization found within the south Beirut camp of Bourj al-Barajneh is the Active Aging House.
Originally established as a center for elderly Palestinian women, the facility has now become a place of sanctuary for refugees of all ages.
"We are open to people of all ages. But we offer the most assistance to the most needy, and particularly the elderly who are living alone," said Malak al-Nimer, an organizer of the project and its key fundraiser.
Most of those who are currently looked after are between the ages of 60 and 80 who either have no living family members or who have been separated from their families, says Nimer.
The House, launched in 2006, evolved from a smaller project that started by providing iftar meals for refugees to break the daily fast during Ramadan.
"In 2004 we started giving iftars twice a week," said Hala Daifallah, a volunteer at the House recently retired from the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
"We continued this for three consecutive years, and then started giving them daily. Then we thought, why do this only on Ramadan? Let's create a place where people can come on a regular basis."
The House has also expanded its services to include literacy and education programs.
"Many of them wanted to learn how to read and write, so we launched a literacy program," said Darine al-Khatib, a social worker at the House.
Khatib also works closely with UNRWA's women's program, and reports to UNRWA about the program's activities.
"Some of them don't know how to write, so we have someone listen to them and write down their stories for them" said Daifallah. "We bring speakers who lecture about elderly life. Sometimes we bring a doctor to talk to them. Other times they are informed of diseases that come with aging. This helps them expand their knowledge. They like it."
They also make time for handicrafts. Fady Badaja, who organizes activities and other sessions at the House, held up a colorful quilt, with each man and woman's name from the House sown in colorful squares.
"We want to make an exhibition, of pillows, quilts," he explained, "so that people know who we are."
Badaja was eager to recount the troubling life of Umm Hussein, a regular at the House.
"Her brother used to beat her and her mother," he recalled. "When she got married her husband beat her too. He died when he was 35 and she was 27. Then, she had similar problems with her mother-in-law and her father. This has traumatized her for her entire life. Now in this center she feels comfortable, she wants to speak about her experiences. She once told me, 'take a picture of me. Take a video of me. I want to talk about my life.'"
The House has attempted to recreate a familial environment for those who have lost their loved ones or have few family members. "Here we try to emphasize the concept of a home, of having a family. We try to emphasize that our aim is not charity. Our aim is to have this house as a club, where they can communicate, share experiences. They can even talk about their problems, their lives, their illnesses, their lives in Palestine," said Daifallah.
This open and welcoming environment took time to build. "At the beginning, they were shy, especially the men. Eventually many people became friends and began to share their experiences with each other," added Daifallah.
Relationships between regulars at the House have blossomed from friendships to a level of reliance and dependence found only among family members. "Even when one has to go to the hospital, others take turns staying there overnight to take care of them," said Nimer.
The 2007 battles at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli saw the number of attendees of the House swell as refugees moved to Bourj al-Barajneh to escape the violence.
The House became a sanctuary for those traumatized by the conflict in Nahr al-Bared.
"Some of the displaced came here to stay with relatives, and we reached a total of 40 regulars, so we started alternating, having 20 people one day and another 20 the next," said Daifallah.
Working in cooperation with UNRWA, plans have been made to expand the services offered at House.
"We are opening a second center in Nahr al-Bared. UNRWA will be paying the rent and helping with establishment costs. We already have a list of 50 elderly," said Nimer: "When UNRWA rebuilds its own headquarters there, they will have a place for us on the ground floor."
The House is also looking to expand to different locations within the camp as the current space has become insufficient in dealing with the growing numbers of participants.
Though the House insists it is not a charity, to many regulars it is providing an essential service for camp residents - companionship.
May Masri, a Palestinian filmmaker who visited the House, summed up its importance to refugees. "When they wake up, they now have a purpose. They have a place to go. It creates a life for them. It gives them something to live for."
Copyright © 2008, The Daily Star.
