Jos Sances: Playgrounds

This print is 22'' x 22.'' EVERY CHILD HAS A RIGHT TO PLAY This print was created by Jos Sances, founder and Art Director of Alliance Graphics, to celebrate the work of the Middle East Children's Alliance for its 25th Anniversary. “We like having a playground in our neighborhood and we’re proud of the way it looks. The playground is very nice and attracts many kids from the old village center and other parts of Hajjah to come play here.” -Yazan Batta, 13 years old In 1990, MECA sent $13,000 for playground equipment for the Right to Live School for children with Down syndrome in Gaza, which remarkably, still stands today. A few years later, MECA and the Palestinian Welfare Association created large municipal parks with playgrounds in the Palestinian cities of Nablus, Al-Bireh, and Gaza City. Each was designed by local architects, inspired by Palestinian culture and tradition, and supported by international design and child development experts. In 2007, MECA built the first playground in Dheisheh refugee camp and later established a partnership with Playgrounds for Palestine, a Pennsylvania-based organization. MECA raised funds and Playgrounds for Palestine transported and installed equipment for two playgrounds in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria.   In 2012, MECA began working with Riwaq, a Palestinian cultural and architectural preservation organization to incorporate playgrounds into their “Fifty Villages Project”. While restoring historic village centers in the West Bank, new structures like kindergartens, youth centers, and guesthouses are being designed and added with community input.