The starting conditions for Palestinian children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are challenging in various ways: the collective and ongoing experience of forcible displacement, the daily presence of Israeli occupation and the inefficiency of their own “government”. Also, the environment is not stimulating at all. For example, there are hardly any sidewalks, hardly any green spaces, no or hardly any playgrounds, rubbish on the street, uncertified age-inappropriate plastic toys, etc. These poor living conditions are accompanied by the omnipresence of the separation wall, which stretches 700km through the West Bank, 100 different Israeli checkpoints, illegal Israeli settlements, etc. This and much more makes it impossible to escape reality. Often the experienced powerlessness to change something in one’s own living conditions is reflected in problems within Palestinian families such as a high rate of domestic violence and violent disciplinary methods used on children. Particularly girls suffer additionally from the gender role imposed by the patriarchal society.
Despite the frustrating reality, there are always people who come together with the goal to improve the local children’s life situation in various ways.