NDC signed grant agreements with five CSOs for the commencement of activities under the first call for proposals of AJIR + (Appui à Jérusalem-Est pour son Identité et sa Résilience – Phase additionnelle) – Action for East Jerusalem’s Identity and Resilience” programme- Second Phase.
The signing event was held at Yabous Cultural Center in Jerusalem with the presence of the AFD Country Director, Véronique SAUVAT, and the NDC Director, Ghassan Kasabreh, in addition to representatives of the five recipient CSOs.
With a total value of 4.67 million Euros, the five grant recipients are: Al Nayzak Organisation for Supportive Education and Scientific Innovation, Saint George's School, Young Women's Christian Association YWCA of Jerusalem, Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Hospital, and Yabous Cultural Centre.
“The scale of the needs, the requests from NGOs providing essential services, the longstanding support of France, the quality of the partnership between AFD and NDC and the new ambitions in terms of taking gender into account and the inclusion of very small structures, justify this renewed investment” said Ghassan Kasabreh, NDC Director.
“The AJIR+ programme intends to enhance the identity of East Jerusalem, including by supporting the resilience and presence of Palestinians in East Jerusalem and thus preserve and enhance the Palestinian identity of East Jerusalem as well as the special status of Jerusalem, in a context where they are both increasingly threatened and vulnerable”, indicated Véronique SAUVAT, the AFD Country Director.
AJIR+ is an additional phase of the Action for East Jerusalem's Identity and Resilience (AJIR) programme, approved in 2020, and provided funding for twenty projects (8 under the "infrastructure" pillar; and 12 under the "access to services" pillar).
Both phases of AJIR programme aim to achieve the same overall objective, which is to strengthen the resilience and well-being of the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem. Focusing on youth and vulnerable populations, the programme aims to enhance social and professional integration and to strengthen social cohesion through improving access to education and services for the Palestinians of East Jerusalem, particularly the most vulnerable. A maximum of 8 million Euros has been allocated to financing AJIR+ which will be structured under the form of calls for proposals addressed to the Palestinian civil society in East Jerusalem.
The NGO Development Center has been entrusted by AFD with the management of AJIR+ including the calls for proposals. NDC acts as the Managing Organisation and is responsible for ensuring the sound implementation of the programme as a whole, as well as contributing to addressing the needs of the Palestinian CSOs in East Jerusalem and strengthening their role and capacity in their mission of service to the Palestinian community in East Jerusalem. In carrying out its mission, NDC is in constant dialogue with the AFD as a sponsor and funding partner of the programme.