Help the Children

RTI Club School Bag Campaign Beit Al Liqa Workshop

RTI Children's Club Workshop in Beit Al Liqa Decisions about projects and events in the RTI Children's Club aren't made by the adults at Holy Land Trust-they're made by the children themselves. In this way, the club members not only get to participate in fun and educational events, but they also develop a strong sense of empowerment and self-worth. In the summer of 2003, one of the events the RTI club members decided to organize was a day of games for the children at Beit Al Liqa. Beit Al Liqa is an Anglican Christian center founded by the German community, located on the hills of Beit Jala. It provides entertainment and educational programs for Palestinian children. Their summer camp program, which serves 240 children every year between the ages of 5 and 14, was currently in session when the RTI club arrived. The RTI Children's Club members practiced their leadership skills by organizing all of the games. They divided the children into four groups according to their ages and filled the next two hours with light-hearted amusements. They led the other children in a round of balloon games (in which a balloon is tied to each child's ankle and the goal is to pop every one else's balloon); fruit games; and move and stop games (red light/green light). Every winner received a prize from Holy Land Trust. At the end of the day, the Beit Al Liqa project coordinator thanked Holy Land Trust for their service and, along with the children of the summer camp, applauded the members of the RTI club. The RTI Children's Club members felt good about being able to provide a day of activities for the children of Beit Al Liqa. The children of Beit Al Liqa looked happy-and that was the RTI club's main goal.