Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children

Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children
جمعية أطفالنا للصم
Formation1992 (1992)
TypeNGO nonprofit
HeadquartersGaza City, Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories
Websitewww.atfaluna.org/en

The Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children (Arabic: جمعية أطفالنا للصم) is a non-profit based in Gaza City, which aims to empower Deaf children and adults in the Gaza Strip. It was established in 1992.[1] ASDC is one of two schools for the deaf in the Gaza Strip.[2]

As of 2024, they have 134 permanent staff members, 55% of whom are deaf.[1] As of 2017, they served roughly 15,000 deaf individuals.[3]

ASDC is affiliated with Anera, who have helped to providing funding and training for the group.[4]

Programs

The non-profit offers services related to education, sign language classes,[5] audiology, speech therapy, job opportunities, vocational training, and community training and awareness programs.[1] Vocational training programs have included skills such as "carpentry, sewing, embroidery and rug weaving".[6]

The Atfaluna Crafts program allows deaf clientele and their family members to make and sell products such as ceramic cups,[3] needlepoint works,[4] and majdalawi fabric.[7]

In 2012, ASDC opened a restaurant, Atfaluna, which is staffed primarily by deaf individuals.[4][8]

In 2015, ASDC mounted a program to help deaf children express the trauma they underwent during the 2014 Gaza war through short films and animation.[9]

History

Atfaluna was founded in 1992 by a women's group, with support from World Vision.[10]

At its founding in 1992, Atfaluna provided "training, full medical assessment and treatment, and rehabilitation". By 1995, the school served 91 students.[11] By the 2007-2008 school year, 275 students attended.[12]

In 2000, they established the Atfaluna Crafts program.[7]

In March 2024, ASDC's main building was bombed in an Israeli airstrike as part of the Gaza war. At least two ASDC employees have died during the war, including head of carpentry Hashem Ghazal.[2] As of June 2024, the organization has continued to offer programming to the best of its capabilities.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children". ReliefWeb. 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  2. ^ a b Loh, Timothy Y. (2024-09-26). "Gaza's Deaf Community in the Face of Genocide". SAPIENS. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  3. ^ a b 王程呈 (2017-12-25). "Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children helps Palestinian deaf people in Gaza". Xinhua. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  4. ^ a b c "Atfaluna Brings Support for Deaf in Gaza". Anera. September 2013. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  5. ^ "OPT: Atfaluna Newsletter". ReliefWeb. 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  6. ^ "'Social entrepreneurship will drive future generations'". The Globe and Mail. 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  7. ^ a b Irving, Sarah (2011). Palestine. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 266. ISBN 978-1-84162-367-2.
  8. ^ "Gaza deaf restaurant a chance to change perceptions". Reuters. 2012-10-18.
  9. ^ Omer, Mohammed (2015-08-28). "Deaf children in Gaza use expressive film to tell their tales". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2024-12-29.
  10. ^ World Vision. 42 (2): 13. 1996 https://books.google.com/books?id=aLElAQAAIAAJ. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ Deaf Life. 8: 29. 1995 https://books.google.com/books?id=Nu8mAQAAMAAJ. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ^ Shawa, Geraldine (June 2008). "Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children". Community Ear and Hearing Health. 5 (8): 21. doi:10.56920/cehh.129.
  13. ^ "OCHA / GAZA CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES". media.un.org. 2024-06-12.
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