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Birzeit Senior Citizen Center (BSCC)
Bi-Monthly Report
September and October 2013
Prepared By
George Abu Aita
Supervisor, Birzeit Senior Citizen Center
Checked and Approved by
Eng. Anthony Habash
Regional Director, HCEF
Monthly Overview
During the months of September and October, an average of 20 seniors attended the
Birzeit Senior Citizen Center on a daily basis, totaling 520 visits. The Center was open
26 days in total over the past two months, operating 3 days a week and providing 156
hours of service for the members of the Center.
The Center attracts seniors to register by promoting healthier living conditions and
offers daycare services including nutritional, medical, and additional social support
services.
BSCC Operational Statistics for September and October
Working Days
26
Services Hours
156
Total Visits
520
Health Programs
3
Hot Meals
520
Social Networking Program
1
Religious Programs
26
Awareness Programs
2
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013
General Services
1. Transportation Services

The Center provides free transportation services for the elderly to and from
the facility.

Free transportation service is also provided for taking the seniors to and
from churches on Sundays.

Free transportation is also provided for various urgent needs that the
elderly at the Center may have.
2. Nutritionist Meals

With the support of the World Food Program (WFD) and other local
organizations, the BSCC provided hot meals for every operational day,
coming to a total of 520 hot meals for the months of September and
October.

Snacks are provided, such as tea, coffee, and fruit, to the elders each
morning of every operational day.
3. Daily Activities
Senior citizens practiced their daily games such as bingo, card games, dominoes, all of
which provide healthy mental stimulation. The elders also work on personal crafts,
such as knitting and embroidery projects. The elderly also took part in spiritual
activities, such as praying and devotions.
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013
Events
Health
1. On September 18th and October 2nd, as part of ongoing relations between BSCC and
the city of Birzeit, the elderly center was visited by a delegation of students from the
Iben-Sina College of Nursing. On these days, the students performed general checkups on the elderly and also followed up with certain elderly who have health
conditions that require periodic care.
Specifically, the students performed:
 Medical examination of blood pressure disease
 Screening for diabetes
 Medical counseling services, which entailed providing advice for each elder
according to the results of their medical examinations
It should be noted that the Iben-Sina College of Nursing is a crucial partner of BSCC,
cooperating with the Center on a consistent basis. The Center provides the students of
the college a valuable opportunity to train and gain practical experience by working
with the elderly. The elderly, in turn, are provided the care they need.
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013
2. On October 23rd BSCC, in cooperation with the Nutrition Department of Birzeit
University, implemented a workshop entitled, “Proper nutrition,” which focused on
how to apply methods of self-control in order to prevent high cholesterol and the onset
of diabetes, as well as a variety of other diseases that commonly affect the elderly.
Students of the Nutrition Department provided the elders educational lectures as well
as a question and answer session.
Spiritual
Priests from the Latin Parish of Birzeit visited the Center on September 7th and October
5th to celebrate Mass. They presented prayers of intercession on behalf of the elderly,
and read the Bible with them.
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013
Community
1. BSCC collaborated with Al-Wakalah School of Jifna on October 9th and hosted a
group of 20 students from grades 8-10, along with two teachers, who came to visit and
interact with the elder members of the Center.
The students presented the elders with shows that they had rehearsed at school, and
then they joined the elders in dancing and singing.
2. The Ministry of Social Affairs, in partnership with United Nations Fund,
implemented a workshop that was held in Ramallah in honor of World Elderly Day
on October 9th
BSCC representative, Mrs. Jamila Aranki, delivered a presentation illustrating the
history of the Center and the reasons for its construction. She also elaborated on the
medical, physical, social, and cultural activities that the Center provides and listed
the partners with whom BSCC is currently engaged. Included in attendance for the
workshop and BSCC’s presentation were the Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Kamal Al
Sharafi, and representatives from elderly centers located throughout the West Bank.
3. This year’s World Elderly Day Festival was held on September 30th. The following
press release sheds light on the day’s events as well as its significance for the elderly
of Birzeit and those of Palestine as a whole:
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013
HCEF
WORLD ELDERLY DAY FESTIVAL
HONORS THE ELDERLY IN BIRZEIT!
On Monday, September 30, 2013 The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, Inc.
(HCEF) in partnership with Caritas Jerusalem organized a World Elderly Day Festival in
Birzeit.
It cannot be overemphasized how essential the elderly are for the well-being and
perseverance of any culture. The case is only heightened for Palestine due to the threats its
heritage faces on a daily basis. The elderly harbor the heritage of Palestine in their minds.
They have lived the past, and through them Palestinians can know their identity.
Today in Palestine elders represent 4.4% of the total population, according to a recent report
issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. As a minority group these elders are
too often overlooked, yet fortunately there are people and organizations, such as HCEF and
Caritas Jerusalem, who recognize the vital role elders play in preserving the heritage of
Palestine and work hard to meet the needs of the elderly.
Almost half of all elderly women in Palestine are widows, and one in six homes are the sole
responsibility of an elderly person in general. In addition to this, one third of all elders in
Palestine consider their health status to be less than good, with 70.7% of elderly over the age
of 60 infected with at least one chronic disease. HCEF and Caritas Jerusalem, along with
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013
their respective partners, work together to ease the struggles of these elderly, providing them
fellowship against their loneliness and healthcare against their sickness. Monday’s World
Elderly Day Festival in Birzeit was held to recognize this noble effort. But most of all the
festival was held to honor the elderly of Palestine who have cared for the nation and have
persevered through adversity to continue providing hope in times of despair.1
Over 100 elderly from the HCEF Birzeit Senior Citizen Center and the Baytona Elderly
Center were in attendance, along with civic leaders, officials, heads and representatives of
organizations, including, the Minister of Social Affairs, Dr. Kamal El-Sharafi The Governor of
Ramallah and Al Bireh, Dr. Laila Ghannam, Eng. Anthony Habash, Regional Director of the
Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, Mr. Hasib Kaleh, Mayor of Birzeit, The Holy
Father Dr. Luis Hazboun, priest of Birzeit parish and Father Raed Abu-Sahlie, Secretary
General of Caritas Jerusalem, Ms. Runde Muslam, Director Latin School in Birzeit, and the
renowned Father Manuel Musallam.
Dr. Kamal El-Sharafi opened the festival proclaiming that the
Ministry of Social Affairs is committed to providing protection and
care for Palestinians in need, particularly the elderly. His Ministry is
working on issuing laws that ensure the well being of the elders,
recognizing the government’s duty toward this growing population.
El-Sharafi ended by stressing the importance of raising the efficiency
of institutions that care for the elderly and that HCEF and Caritas
Jerusalem are role models in this effort.
Dr. Kamal El-Sharafi,
Minister of Social Affairs
Dr. Laila Ghannam expressed the great value of HCEF
and Caritas Jerusalem in caring for the elderly as well
providing them the respect and dignity they deserve as
esteemed members of the community. Ghannam
emphasized that the elderly are a source of hope and life in
maintaining the heritage and identity of Palestine.
Dr. Laila Ghannam
Ramallah and al-Bireh Governor
1
All statistics referred to have been provided by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS):
http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/site/512/default.aspx?tabID=512&lang=en&ItemID=919&mid=3171&wversion=Staging
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013
Eng. Anthony Habash,
Regional Director of HCEF
Eng. Anthony Habash spoke about the future vision of HCEF to
further invest in the development of Palestine’s elders. Habash
conveyed the importance of working collectively and effectively
to support the elderly and integrating them into their
communities so that they may have a more active role in
restoring dignity and peace to Palestine as a whole. He gave
special thanks to many of the elders present at the celebration
who he considered to be the backbone of the Birzeit Senior
Citizens Center. Habash also expressed his deep gratitude toward
the Ministry of Social Affairs, the municipality of Birzeit, and
Caritas Jerusalem for their partnership in making a sustained
effort to care for the elderly possible.
Mr. Hasib Kaleh indicated the necessity of
establishing laws that guarantee elders’ rights. He
proclaimed the national duty of all Palestinians to do
what they can to ensure that the elderly are respected
and welcomed with open arms into their communities,
never to be abandoned or isolated.
Mr. Hasib Kaleh
Mayor of Birzeit
Father Raed Abu Sahlie
Secretary General of Caritas
Jerusalem
In his speech, Father Raed Abu Sahlie acknowledged the
economic, social and psychological obstacles that the elderly
constantly face, and that efforts must continue to help them
overcome these challenges. He called on the Palestinian
Authority – the Ministry of Social Affairs in particular – to enact
laws that guarantee the rights of all women and elderly in the
context of working toward the social and political rights of
Palestinians in general. Father Abu Sahlie said that the elders, in
essence, are a blessing of the land and that it is everyone’s duty to
nurture their development in any way possible.
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013
The Reverend Dr. Luis Hazboun expressed that there is wisdom to be gained from
communicating with the elderly, and that they should always be treated with love and
tenderness. Father Hazboun continued by stating that the elderly are an important part of
our daily lives and so we must support them, standing together in solidarity.
Before the end of the celebration, Eng. Anthony
Habash took a moment to honor Dr. Kamal ElSharafi, Mr. Hasib Kaleh, Father Manuel Musallam,
and Father Raed Abu Sahlie, by presenting each of
them with embroideries created by the hands of the
elders. Afterwards everyone gathered outside for
lunch, during which there was singing, dancing and
a distribution of gifts to the elders and participants.
Other organizations and companies who helped to make this event a success include the
Coca Cola Company, Nestle and Al-Jebrini Company.
Visit us online at www.hcef.org to learn more about the Birzeit Senior Citizen Center or
HCEF and its many other programs!
BSCC Report – September & October, 2013