In cooperation with Kufr Na’meh Village Council
Sharek Youth Forum and the UNDP celebrate the opening of Kufr Na’meh Educational Environmental Garden

Ramallah – Kufr Na’meh – Sharek Youth Forum- 26 July 2011:
Sharek Youth Forum and the UNDP, in cooperation with Kufr Na’meh Village Council, celebrated the opening of the Educational Environmental Garden in Kufr Na’meh. The garden extends over 5000 square meters and includes a number of plots each of which contain indigenous plant species, labeled for easy identification.
On this occasion a special ceremony was held in the presence of the UNDP Special Representative Mr. Frode Mauring, the Deputy Governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh Hamdan Al-Barghouthi, the Global Environment Facility Coordinator Nadia Al-Khudary, the Vice Chairman of the Environmental Quality Authority Jamil Al-Mutawer, the Programs and Projects’ Manager of Sharek Youth Forum Sahar Othman, the Deputy Mayor of Kufr Na’meh Village Council, Kufr Na’meh Child Club Director Nayef Shtayeh and a number of the village dignitaries, in addition to the representatives of the national and civil organizations in the area and a large number of volunteers.
The educational garden offers an opportunity for children and youth to become acquainted with the diversity of plant species in the area and the type of environment and climate suitable for each species to grow.
The Garden and center have been built with the visitor in mind, to create a space where they can sit and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding landscape. The Garden’s center was built in an eco-friendly manner and includes a hall and sanitation facilities. The hall is used by groups of visitors who meet with volunteer guides who teach them about the biodiversity of Kufr Na’meh.
During the opening ceremony, Sharek’s Executive Director Bader Zamareh said that the construction of the Garden came out of a holistic perspective adopted by Sharek Youth Forum and the Global Environment Facility on the developmental work with children and youth. He emphasized that environment and sustainability factors represent an important developmental dimension for the coming generations. Zamareh added that the educational and recreational factors form an effective tool to raise the environmental awareness of youth and develop their knowledge about indigenous plants.
For his part, the UNDP Special Representative Mr. Frode Mauring said that the Garden offers educational and recreational opportunities which allow young people to learn about their natural heritage and get acquainted with broader areas of Palestine. Mauring pointed out that this educational environmental garden is valuable and useful as it provides Palestinian youth and children a place where they can assemble to enjoy their natural surroundings and learn about the importance of the environmental diversity in Palestine. He further added that the project allows youth an opportunity to escape the city and enjoy nature.
For her part, the Global Environment Facility Coordinator Nadia Al-Khudary said that the construction of Kufr Na’meh Educational Environmental Garden stated that the educational recreational factors, which are the most significant for children and youth, are related to dealing with nature and getting acquainted with broader areas of Palestine.
Environmental Quality Authority Jamil Al-Mutawer said that the construction of the Educational Environmental Garden was made possible with the generous support of the UNDP and the Global Environment Facility for Small Grants in cooperation with Sharek Youth Forum and the Environmental Quality Authority. This project aims at enhancing the relationship of children and youth with nature by raising their environmental awareness, promoting community participation among them, integrating them in the developmental process and making them partners with the governmental and non-governmental organizations in their efforts to protect nature.
Mutawer added that the Kufr Na’meh Garden is primarily an educational awareness center and an enviable conservation model that should be adopted by citizens across Palestine. Consequently, the Garden is considered a center for awareness that matches with the environmental strategy and mission of the Environmental Quality Authority that aims at increasing green areas and environmental sustainability and awareness centers across Palestine.
Meanwhile, Kufr Na’meh Child Club Director Nayef Shtayeh affirmed that the importance of the Garden lies in the fact that it forms an effective tool for raising the awareness of children and youth about better understanding and caring for the environment and nature in addition to getting directly acquainted with the unique variety of indigenous plants.