French Consul General Frédéric Desagneaux, L’Agence Française de Développement and NDC visit the Mothers School Society in Askar Refugee Camp, Nablus | NDC

French Consul General Frédéric Desagneaux, L’Agence Française de Développement and NDC visit the Mothers School Society in Askar Refugee Camp, Nablus

On Monday 1st of October, French Consul General to Palestine Frédéric Desagneaux and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Chargé de Mission Jacky Amprou joined Ghassan Kasabreh (NDC Director), Jamileh Sahlieh (NDC Programs Manager), and Saed Quzmar (NDC Program Officer) at the Mothers School Society’s headquarters in Askar Refugee Camp, Nablus. The society has supported education for mothers in the Nablus Governorate since 1999. They are currently implementing a two year project in partnership with AFD and NDC to provide young mothers with educational classes in a variety of subjects and covering socially relevant themes – including maths, English, Arabic, and child psychological health and wellbeing. These classes are specifically designed to reflect the stated needs of the participants.


The delegation met with Director of the Mothers School Society Nadia Shehada and heard how the organization is impacting on the local community in Askar Camp – “…our activities support the schools, empower mothers, and therefore support the entire social system”. That the Mothers School Society uses the same curriculum as the Ministry of Education is testament to the complimentary relationship achieved between ministry and NGO is this case. Furthermore, the Mothers School Society has inadvertently provided the seed for further community action. A number of Mother’s Councils have been established at local schools by former students of the society. Through the current project, education is becoming an integrated feature of the community, not an activity exclusive to the classroom. This, in essence, is a process of social cohesion. The impact of the Mothers School Society reverberates throughout the social fabric of the locality.

 

Mr. Desagneaux thanked the society for their welcome and expressed how hugely impressed he was by the energy, enthusiasm and expertise that was so evident during this observer mission. He added: “Education is a priority for France in Palestine. The kids cannot work and learn without the broader support of families and society…We are very happy to partner with NDC because it connects us to the Palestinian people and fantastic organizations like Mothers School Society”.

 

The Mothers School Society project is funded by the Palestinian NGO IV Project (PNGO IV). Focusing on service provision, PNGO IV offers support to the Palestinian NGO sector through the dissemination of grants, targeted organizational capacity building and sector development. Beginning in 2010, PNGO IV is funded by AFD and the World Bank, and managed by NDC. As NDC Director Ghassan Kasabreh summed up, the Mothers School Society epitomizes the essence of PNGO IV: “All partners of NDC selected for support from the PNGO IV project show tremendous commitment to the holistic development of their local communities. At the Mothers School Society, a consultative social movement is empowering local mothers, energizing the educational system experienced by the leaders of the future, and thus offering an example of just how powerful local involvement can be in social development”.

 

NDC would like to thank the Mothers School Society, all partner NGOs throughout Palestine, and our PNGO IV donors for their commitment to development in Palestine.