The document summarizes the Child Protection Helpline 121 in Palestine. It provides counseling and referrals for victims of violence, especially children, youth, parents, and women. Over the years it has expanded from one line to 30 lines and added email counseling. Callers are mostly under 18, female, and from Gaza. Common issues include domestic violence, emotional abuse, and sexual harassment. The Helpline aims to continue improving technology, advocacy, and international collaboration to better support those in need.

1. Sawa—All Together, Today and Tomorrow
Child Protection Helpline 121
Achievements, Progress, and Looking to the Future

2. What is the 121 Helpline?
• National, toll-free Call Center operating 30 lines 16 hours a
day, 7 days a week, and offering e-mail counseling through
121@sawa.ps, serving all areas of the West Bank, Gaza, and
Jerusalem
• Professional, confidential source of support and referrals
for victims of violence and psycho-social
problems, especially children, youth, parents, and women
• Uses the latest technology (soft phones, database, e-mail
counseling), to provide the best possible service

3. Helpline Development Highlights
• Began with just one line and manual documentation of
cases, operating 9:00-5:00
• During 2008-9 Gaza War, expanded temporarily to 24-
hour emergency line, added 3 toll-free lines courtesy
of Pal-Tel, free calls from Jawwal
• Also 2008-9: Added IP phones and electronic database
• 2011: Switch to 30-line PRI system, special soft-phone
donated by PC Best (Canada) integrated with the
electronic database

4. Caller Information Database
• Caller details recorded: age, location, gender, reason
for call, comments on intervention and progress
• Easily generates detailed and focused statistical
reports
• Powerful resource for targeted project planning, and
for advocacy on issues affecting children, families,
and women, especially violence

5. Who Helps Callers?
• Male and female volunteers from all academic and professional
backgrounds
• Experienced Call Center staff, supervisors, and volunteers
support new volunteers
• Professional Committee plans interventions for difficult cases
• Counseling Officer holds weekly debriefings to protect the
mental health of Helpline volunteers and staff and help them
continue to give callers outstanding support
• Sawa maintains a list of referral organizations in the
legal, health, and social service sectors, and has good relations
with police Family Protection Units

6. Social Entrepreneurs: Using innovative
communication technology to support those in need

7. How are Volunteers Trained?
• 80 hours theoretical training—types of violence, gender issues, sex
education topics, mental & physical health, counseling methods
• 30 hours on-the-job training: Listen to experienced counselors, watch
real-time case documentation, group discussion on how to address cases
• Training is professional, comprehensive, and complete, even compared
to Helplines in developed nations—no background in counseling needed!
• Excellent preparation for job market: 70% unemployed trainees find
work after volunteering at Sawa!
• Volunteers gain new perspectives, communication and technical skills,
confidence, pride in helping others and contributing to a better
Palestinian society

8. Training at Sawa means games, creative
projects, films, role-playing exercises, and dynamic discussion
of difficult topics. No lectures, never a boring moment

9. Who does the Helpline help?
• Marginalized groups: currently 60% under 18, 60% female;
60% from Gaza
• Victims of psychological, physical, and sexual
violence, abuse, neglect
• Those suffering problems with mental, physical, or sexual
health, family, relationships, or school– those who do not
know where else to turn
• Parents and others concerned about children’s medical and
psycho-social well-being, or who suspect a child may have
been abused

10. Statistics used in a recent Bir Zeit University
analysis of Helpline data indicate thousands of
Palestinians supported each year.
Number of calls according to calling year (2009-mid-
2011)
Calling year Number of received calls
2009 7,134
2010 9,636
End June 2011 4000
Total 20779

11. Answered and Unanswered Calls—an example
• Sawa checks answered and unanswered calls each month, to help
assess service
• September 2009:
– 58,658 attempts to call recorded
– Answered 24,403 calls (regardless of the type of call, as some calls
came through Jawwal, PalTel, ambulances or emergency services).
– Could not respond to 17,824 of these attempts--reported as
unanswered. No-one was available, all lines were busy.
– 16,432 calls were from numbers blacklisted because callers used
violent or improper terms against the work team taking the call.
– Counseling service was provided to 1,183 individual callers in total

12. Caller’s age Number (2009- Children and Youth: 25.6% of
mid-2011) those whose age was recorded
0-5 1378 were between 15 – 18 years,
6-9 710 and 18.9% aged from 19-24
10-14 2177 years. Youth face problems in
15-18 5319 educational, family, sexual,
19-24 3923 and emotional life they may
25-35 1656
find difficult to share with
parents, teachers or
36-45 362
counselors. The Helpline is a
46-55 95
vital, trusted resource for
56+ 38 confused, sad, angry, or
Total 15658 frightened young people.
Undefined 5121
Grand total 20779

13. Caller gender Number (2009 to mid-
2011)
Male 8371
Female 10778
Total 19149
Undefined 1630
Grand total 20779 Focus on Gender: The Helpline is a
safe place for girls and women to
discuss problems, including gender-
based violence, and to get info on
sensitive matters like sexual health.
Women also call about parenting
problems, and some reveal their
own violent experiences once they
feel safe with Sawa

14. Where Are Callers from?
Area/district Number Hebron Governorate 10.1%.
Ramallah 5%
Jenin 4.7%.
West Bank 6359 Gaza City 20.1%
Rafah 7%
Gaza Strip 9787 Khan Yunis 6.4%
33.5% unrecorded
Total 16176
Undefined 4603
Grand total 20779

15. Why do People Turn to the Helpline?

16. Violence Cases (2009-mid-2011) Female Male Total
Domestic violence 256 99 355
Emotional abuse 213 52 265
Abuse 422 170 592
Negligence 245 67 312
Physical abuse 273 182 455
Sexual harassment 222 37 259
Bullying 68 65 133
Reporting on violence 58 55 113
Witness to violence 20 29 49
Attempt to rape 58 17 75
Rape 58 17 75
Gang rape 4 3 7
Rape within the family 21 2 23
Sexual abuse within the family 53 1 54

17. How Do Callers Know about the Helpline?
• Media campaigns and workshops raise awareness on
violence, children’s and women’s rights, and the
support available through the 121 Helpline
• However, over 70% of our callers hear of the Helpline
through positive word of mouth!

18. Children take part in awareness-raising activities through
Sawa’s new Mobile Clinic program, which brings outreach and
psycho-social support to marginalized areas

19. The Helpline Beyond Palestine
International Recognition:
• 2010: AGFUND prize, for our use of technology to support
marginalized people during Gaza War
• Worldwide media coverage of Helpline activities, especially Gaza
emergency response
• Sawa Resource and Support Manager was chosen for Child
Helpline International Committee on Technological Development
• Canadian company PC Best’s unexpected offer to donate a more
user-friendly soft phone shows Sawa’s reputation has spread far
and wide

20. The Helpline Beyond Palestine

21. What’s Next for the Helpline?
• Keep up with new and useful tech developments
• Develop e-mail and chat counseling, train volunteers in the
special skills needed
• Use database for advocacy, assessing needs for future projects,
and document best practices
• Improve support on legal issues
• Strengthen our referral network and build procedures for
cooperation
• Continue international networking and knowledge exchange,
offering our extensive expertise, learning from our dedicated
colleagues across the globe

22. Thank You
Website: http://www.sawa.ps
Email: info@sawa.ps