The Trust of Programs for Early Childhood, Family and Community Education

was established in 1984 in Jerusalem, in order to empower members of the Palestinian community through education and leadership development. The Trust is registered as a non-profit NGO governed by a board of directors.

The programs that the Trust has developed have grown out of the needs of the local communities, building on the potential of local residents and community involvement. Programs have developed in the areas of early childhood education, health education, parent training and leadership training, focusing on professionals, paraprofessionals and women leadership.

Our field programs today are targeting women and children in Israel, east Jerusalem and the West Bank. Why children and women? We believe that they are the key of entry to reach community development and social change. Moreover, they are the most vulnerable in a patriarchal community that is under stress, poverty, political aggression and violence.

Through its operation the Trust has worked throughout Israel and the Palestinian territories in developing early childhood kindergartens, health education programs, training programs for early childhood teachers, early childhood education resource centers, home visiting programs focusing on the needs of new mothers, programs for girls at risk, learning programs for elementary school children and training programs for community leaders. These programs are tailored to the specific communities in which they operate, meeting the individual needs of the community.

The Trust has developed a system of working in cooperation with local groups in order to guarantee the continuation of programs after the Trust’s initial support ends. These groups range from small non-profit organizations, to municipalities. In its programs, the Trust provides initial training and funding for project development, and later the local committee is encouraged to take on the responsibility for major parts of the programs.

The Trust will often continue its involvement by providing staff, supervision and training, allowing the programs to continue to operate along the basic principles of community involvement and empowerment. Sustainability of the programs inside Israel was insured by local municipalities and organizations but as for the Palestinian Territories and East Jerusalem it is very difficult to insure funding, therefore, the Trust’s involvement is crucial for the continuation of the program.