In 2001, the PCRF started a new project to sponsor summer camps for handicapped children throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In Palestine, like so many other societies, there is a stigma that is often placed on children with disabilities and families who have handicapped children. In an effort to tackle this problem, the PCRF started organizing and sponsoring summer camps to provide handicapped and able-bodied children an opportunity to interact, learn, and play together in order to break down some of these stereotypes.
The camps, which are arranged and run on the ground by the local PCRF staff, are completely free and open to any child that would like to register. The camps often range anywhere from one week to three weeks in length and have the children participating in a host of fun and learning activities including art lessons, swimming, field trips, first-aid, traditional dance, and health education. Each child also receives a free T-shirt, just for participating.
The popularity of the summer camps has continued to grow throughout the years and they have since expanded to every district of both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with some districts having multiple camps throughout the summer. Since 2001, the PCRF has held over 70 summer camps and has hosted roughly 7000 children with many more camps planned for the future.
