ACLAÍ Palestine is a community gym located in the Lajee Centre in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine. We officially opened in February 2020, thanks to the hard work of our team in Ireland and Palestine, and to the generous donations from many people who supported the project through our fundraising campaign and by organising fundraising events in their own communities.
ACLAÍ Palestine provides a space for strength and movement training and circus skills for people of all ages who live in the Aida camp, and also provides exercise sessions for patients of the community health program run by the Lajee Centre. The Lajee Centre is a grassroots organisation that provides cultural, educational, and health resources for the community, and their services currently include a community soccer pitch, a garden and playground, a kindergarten, an Environmental Unit, a Music and Dance Unit, a Library, a Media Unit, a Women’s Unit, and a Community Health Workers Unit.
Our mission is to:
1. Improve the health and quality of life of our participants.
2. Provide sporting opportunities for young people in the Aida camp.
3. Support the mission of Lajee Centre and the Aida community.
ACLAÍ Palestine is funded completely independently, and every penny raised goes directly into the development of the project, equipment, and paying the salaries of our Palestinian team.
The use of the gym is free of charge for the men, women, and children of the Aida refugee camp, as well as for our participants who come from the nearby Al-Azzah and Deheisheh camps. This means we are dependent on ongoing fundraising efforts to keep the project going.
Thank you very much for your support!
Saoirse Don Phalaistín.
The ACLAÍ Palestine Team
Website: www.aclai.ie
Instagram: @aclai_palestine
Facebook: ACLAÍ Palestine