Welcome New MECA Staff!
We are so pleased to announce the arrival of two new staff members as MECA’s work continues to expand. Zak Habash and Voulette Hattar recently joined our team in Berkeley and will be sharing a [...]
Edward Said Library, Silwan Branch: A Home for All in the Midst of Home Demolitions
Children in the reading club All of the children from Batn el-Hawa neighborhood [in Silwan East Jerusalem] are under the risk of forced displacement by home demolitions… or homes being taken over by [...]
Call for Volunteers for Palestinian Crafts Bazaar!
Hello MECA family! We are excited to announce that after a year hiatus, the Palestinian Holiday Crafts Bazaar is back and better than ever! The Holiday Bazaar, sponsored by MECA and Joining Hands, supports the [...]
VIDEO: “In My Mother’s Footsteps” Book Launch with Mona Hajjar Halaby
Join Middle East Children’s Alliance to celebrate the release of Mona Hajjar Halaby's new book! Mona is a long-time friend and supporter of MECA and we were thrilled to host this virtual celebration of her [...]
Help MECA make this summer fun in Palestine!
Dear Friend, When we think about the lives of children in Palestine we don’t usually think of fun. We think of soldiers, settlers, checkpoints, military attacks, arrests, and home demolitions. In the midst of these [...]
Heartwarming visit to our playground in Khuza’a, Gaza
Playing with my niece Maryam in the sand area After taking 10 days off of work, since I was extremely overwhelmed after the last offensive on Gaza, it was time to go back [...]
VIDEO: “Determined to Stay: Palestinian Youth Fight for Their Village” Virtual Book Launch!
? Silwan is a Palestinian village just outside the ancient walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. "Determined to Stay" is the moving story of its people in the face of occupation. As Silwani youth and community [...]
No Longer My Familiar Streets: Gaza Diary
Our Maia Project Coordinator, Ghada Mansi, spent the last few weeks checking the water purification units that we have installed in schools throughout Gaza in order to assess the damage, check what maintenance is needed, [...]
It’s time to cry: Gaza Diary
Some of the scenes I saw as a visited different areas of Gaza Today I walked the streets of Gaza for the first time after the announcement of a ceasefire. I spent nine [...]
Night came: Gaza Diary
Nowadays, nightfall has become the most dreaded thing for everyone in Gaza. Each night lasts so long. In Gaza, we have experienced many harsh attacks by the Israeli occupation. Every time, we say this is [...]