Gaza beaches Cleanup. Organized by Life and Hope Association LHA, about 450 volunteers spread along the Gaza beach, The volunteers were collecting marine debris including plastics, bottles and various other items that end up in the sea.

Mr. Mahmoud El Halabi the LHA executive director said "it's important to keep our beaches clean, engaged the youth in voluntary actions and reinforce the principles of volunteerism as a part of civic participation".

Mr. El Halabi clarifies this is the second voluntary campaign implemented in the Northern of Gaza as part of Youth Civic Participation Involvement Campaign through Volunteerism project in partnership with Catholic Relief Services CRS funded by USAID.

"The project mobilized 50 youth as core volunteer and enhanced leadership and skills training and hands-on experience in solving social challenges. They executed initiative addressed one of youth challenges in Gaza, which is the danger of drugs taking, and drugs addiction, the volunteers conducts series of awareness workshops and meetings in local NGOs and youth clubs in the northern Gaza Strip (Jabalia and Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun) and distribution awareness materials included posters, brochures and stickers. As well as the upcoming three months the project will mobilize other 1200 youth volunteers to participate using their energy and creativity carry out voluntary activities in Gaza Northern Governorate such as visiting the children hospitals and distribution the gifts to sick children, public park clean-ups and helping farmers in farm their lands" he said.

Finally, in parallel of the voluntary activities the Life and Hope Association will enhance its capacity through establishing information system, produce new strategic plan for upcoming three years with action plans, budget and publication plan, review and develop the LHA monitoring and evaluation manual and enhancing the LHA’s staff knowledge of International Conventions.