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Playgrounds for Palestine
P.O. Box 559
Yardley, PA 19067
contact@playgroundsforpalestine.org
The Nuts and Bolts
A great deal of work and effort goes into building these playgrounds. Playgrounds that are purchased abroad are shipped and assembled using local labor. We transfer "ownership" of the equipment to a local Palestinian NGO or municipality that takes over the responsibility of maintaining the playground and providing access to all children. The land is always donated. In nearly every aspect of operations in Palestine, we rely on the generosity and dedication of ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid) to help us ship the equipment, transport it on the ground, liaise with local organizations and local communities to install the playgrounds.
The Playgrounds for Palestine Team
Susan Abulhawa
is a writer, a mom, an activist, a biologist, and other ists. Her first novel, The Scar of David was recently published and you should buy it! She has written other things, mostly rants all over the internet, plus a couple of anthology contributions. She loves music but can't play and instrument and hurts most people's ears when she sings (which she does quite often, unfortunately for those around her). She's a news junkie, finds most anchors to be insufferable, and really loves Che. Every year she tries to cultivate a vegetable garden in her backyard, but only tomatoes will cooperate; so, she eats a lot of tomato sandwiches in the spring and summer months. She has a very needy dog that's always happy to see her and a daughter who thinks she's the most uncool person on the planet. She recycles everything she can, but guiltily drives everywhere. And amidst her cynicism, she seceretly dreams and imagines a more gentle world.
Jacqueline Berry
grew up in Cornwall in the UK. Before graduating from Lancaster University with a degree in Geography (Development Studies) she was fortunate enough to call Cairo her home for 3 years. She continued her informal education as she travelled around Europe, Asia and Latin America and moved to Philadelphia 6 years ago with her husband Anthony. For the last 10 years she made a career out of fair trade, but currently can be found recruiting volunteers for a non-profit organization in Philadelphia.
Linda Hanna
is a Syrian American born in the US. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and has taught Environmental Sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. She currently has her own environmental consulting firm and has been on several trips to share and learn environmental concerns with both governments and NGOs in the Middle East.
Betsey Piette
was born in western New York (USA) and attended the State University of New York at Buffalo where she became and activist against the US war in Vietnam with anti-racist solidarity work. Betsey spent nearly 15 years as a business manager of a child care center in Philadelphia, while furthering her studies for a certification in accounting, her current career. She is an organizer for the International Action Center in Philadelhpia and a contributing writer for Workers World Paper. She has participated in international delegations to Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Sonia Rosen
is a Moroccan American who was born and raised in the U.S. She graduated from New York University with a degree in English Education and Africana Studies and taught in New York public schools until coming back to Philadelphia to pursue her graduate studies in education, at the same time continuing to teach in a number of different contexts. She obtained a masters degree and is currently completing her doctorate in education at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, she is a singer in Tribe 1, a Philadelphia-based music ensemble. Sonia enjoys a busy life as an educator, musician, and activist with her wonderful spouse, Samer, who is also a strong supporter of PfP.
Karen Kovalcik
Karen Kovalcik is the wife of David Kovalcik of Yardley, PA and the mother of four wonderful children. Her life is full with connections through her childrens' schools and sports activities, and she enjoys participating in various church and civic groups. She is a closet musician and enjoys playing the piano and being an active board-member of the Bucks County Performing Arts Center. Her involvement with PFP stemmed from her friendship with Susan Abulhawa and the awareness of the plight of the children living in Palestine. Her heart has been moved to provide whatever assistance and support she and her family can secure. As a believer that change comes from the most innocent among us, children, she fully supports this charity's mission to provide a basic human right to play shown through an act of love.
Nathan Dannison
Nathan Dannison currently serves as the Director for Outreach Ministries at First (Park) Congregational Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is also a graduate student at the Chicago Theological Seminary. Nathan first became interested in Middle East justice issues during his undergraduate work in International Relations at Western Michigan University. After receiving a Fund for Theological Education ministry grant, he toured the Midwestern United States, preaching at various churches to raise money for a playground. He recently returned from Bethlehem, West Bank, were he was able to assist with the completion of a playground and begin work on a model for sustainable future playground development in conjunction with the Beit Sahour Municipality.
Nathan is currently engaged in bringing more churches into relationship with their Palestinian brothers and sisters of all faiths - as many progressive denominations have expressed an interest in doing on-the-ground justice work in Palestine he feels that PfP is the perfect organization to fit this model. During his time in Palestine, Nathan also worked as an Emergency
Medical Technician with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. In his free time he enjoys playing fiddle in a bluegrass band, blacksmithing, fishing and generally exploring the great outdoors.
