Al-Zababdeh town
1) Location: Al-Zababdeh town is located
directly eastern south of Jenin governorate (in the northern of the west bank),
and it is 15km away from Jenin city.
2) Population: There
are 4000 peoples live and reside in the town. Also, there are 700 students and
employees study and work in the Arab
American University and live in the town.
In addition to that, about 3000 persons from the
town residents work and live abroad.
Al-Zababdeh residents include Muslims and Christians
and they live side to side there. Additionally, a lot of refugees live in the
town; those peoples were enforced to leave their cities and villages by Israeli
forces through 1948 disaster (Al-Nakbah).
The human power forces percentages of Al-Zababdeh are divided as following:: 5%
farmers,36%employees,19% labourers,7% merchants,24% handcrafted persons and 9%
various works.
3) Area: the total
area of the town lands is 5583donums (1 donum =1000 sq.m.), 1723donums of these lands lies thought the
municipal council borders which has been approved in 9/4/2005 .before that date
the town area was 446donums, so, the town area has been extended, which means
1277 donums were added .the other lands are considered as agricultural
areas and
it includes plains and olives mountains .(it is half to half; 50%plains,50%
olives mountains).
4) Historical brief: Al-Zababdeh has been built over old buildings basements, and
the old ruins (e.g. Columns and mosaic,
which its history goes back to 4th century B.C) show that it is so
old town. Since the time in which Al-Zababdeh was
inhabited in the modern ages (the beginning of the eighteenth century), the
national structure between Muslims and Christians families has been marked by
solidarity and liability. Now, there are 4 churches represent the various confessions:
catholic Latin, the Greek orthodox, royal catholic and evangelical church. In
addition, there are two mosques in the town.
5) The local authority: the
first local authority was established since the fifth decade of this century,
while the first local council was formed in 1995 under the sponsorship of the
Palestinian national authority. In 1997, the local council has been replaced by
a municipal council. Then, the municipal elections were held in May, 2005; so,
the town people elected the first elected municipal council which consist of
nine members, this council includes two women members.
Public services:
Education: 1) schools:
there are three schools in the town:
Al-Zababdeh Boys secondary
school: It is a governmental school;
there is about 350 students study there.
This school
receives students from 5th class till 12th class. And It is so essential to add rooms to its building (at least 10
rooms).
Al-Zababdeh Girls secondary
school (governmental) there are
420students studies there, it receives boys from the first till the fourth
classes in addition to the girls' classes from 5th to the 12th
class.
The Latin Patriarchal school: it is a private school, and it applies a
coeducational system. There 700students study there, some of them come from
other towns and villages.
2) Nursery schools and kindergartens: there are two kindergartens and three nurseries in
the town.
3) Institutes and Universities:
-Martyr Naeem Khader Institute: this
institute has been established by (Oxfam org. Belgium) initiative. The European Union was funded it upon a
project proposed by ( Naeem Khader friends association).
Naeem was the ambassador of the Palestinian Liberation org. in Belgium, and he was assassinated in Broxel
in 1/6/1981.
The agricultural relief executed the construction and
in the present, it manages it.
-The Arab
American
University: it
lies in Talfeet village near Al-Zababdeh
(3km), so, Al-Zababdeh is considered as the center
for students and employees.
Health and social services:
1.
There is a governmental clinic and maternity centre
2.
The clinic of Arab evangelical hospital and Palestinian medical relief, it
consists of various clinics: medicine,
gynecology, pediatrics and dentistry in addition to medical analysis lab.
3.
Private clinics: two for major medicine and one for dentistry
4.
There Three pharmacies in the town
5.
Al-Zababdeh charitable association.
6.
Al-Zababdeh developmental centre.
7.
The cooperative society for animal products.
Agriculture: the
agriculture was the main occupation on which the town people depend to get
there living. They sew the various seeds, and planted vegetables and fruitful
trees, such as olive, almond and fig. but the town peoples started quitting
agricultural works. So, relatively, few peoples now work in agriculture, that because
of various reasons; such as the lack of water sources.
Al-Zababdeh
Mountains are
covered by olive trees, and its peoples owns about 200donums mountainous lands
covered by olive trees. On the other hand, and to facilitate the marketing of
overflow oil product; the Latin convent
has built a centre for bottling the olive oil in glass bottles with
various sizes, that to sell the oil abroad, this project was supported by (Bioment pastoral office/ Torino
–Italy).In addition, there are two mills for olive.
The main municipality's services
1. Water service: the
first piped water net was installed by west bank water department in 1979, this
project was funded by(Oxfam org, Belgium).Then,
it was rehabilitated in 2003.The total length of this net is 13000meter,and the
number of beneficiaries from this service is 550.
- Now,( 2006), the
works are being executed to construct water reservoir with 500 cubic meter
volume. This project is funded by the International Bank and PECDAR is
executing it.
The problems and the future plans
As a result of groundwater lack, the town, every year,
faces crisis, that the municipality cannot save the drinkable water for people,
especially in summer and autumn. So, it decreases the pumped water quantities
and water pumping time. This means the water quantities don’t suffice the
people needs.
To solve
this problem, another water source must be saved, such as digging groundwater
well for the municipality uses.
-The high
costs of the internal net extension obstruct the municipality, that it can not
save this service for the new inhabited quarters. So, the municipality tries to
link these quarters with the public piped water net, as a first stage. Then, at
the second stage, it will try to provide all the area involved in the municipal
borders with the piped water service.
Electricity's services
This
service has been provided in 1969 by the Latin convent imitative and with
support from French town.. At that time, this service
depended on diesel generators. In 2002, Tubas Electricity Company was
established, so, Al-Zababdeh has been linked with this
company. This company which consists of medium pressure electrical net, has
been established in Tubas region to serve more than 23 communities, and it was
funded by Czech government. The total length of the internal electricity net is
more than 14km.in addition, there are more than 400electric lamps to light the
streets. The number of beneficiaries from this service is about 1150 persons.
The problems and the future plans
The sudden increasing of people's number through the
last 5 years, due to the university student and employees that inhabited in the
town, increases the needs to electricity power. Also, the extension of the
municipal boarders and the increasing of the town area increases the town
needs.
So,
the municipality tries to rehabilitate and extend the medium pressure net and
the low pressure net, that to make it serve and suffice the people needs.
-the
low pressure net needs to be rehabilitated in some areas, specially, after
installing the new transformers. In addition, this net needs to be expanded,
that to serve the new quarters and the handicraft region, that by adding
columns, cables and street lighting bulbs.
-Due
to the difficult economic condition of our people, and the growing debits which
must be paid to the municipality, the municipality tries to apply the advance
payment system.
The health department
-the service of collecting solid wastes has been
provided since the eighth decades of this century ,at that time solid wastes
were collected by agricultural tractor. This service has been improved in 1998
when the municipality was provided with garbage's truck and more than 50
garbage containers; this donation was funded by the Spanish government. Then
the municipality bought many garbage containers.
-the roads are cleaned by using an automatic sweeper
or by municipality's dustmen.
The problems and the future plans:
-the garbage's truck
is used to its maximum capacity, that because the waste dump is far away from
the town. In addition, and as a result of Israeli closures, sometimes the truck
is driven through difficult and mountainous roads. So, this truck is so
depreciated. On the other hand, if it
breaks down for a short time will causes environmental problem in the town. So,
to solve this problem, a second garbage truck must be saved to suffice the town
needs in the future.
-there is a lack in the required tools and equipments
for insecticide and fighting disease and rodents.
-there is a necessity for establishing a dump for
wastes resulted from digging and building works.
The waste water problem
-till
this time, there is no waste water net in or waste water processing station in
Al-Zababdeh. This service is not available in the
whole government, except in Jenin City. So, the waste water is collected in
absorbing holes which are dug in the houses. When the hole is filled, special
tanks absorb the water and pump it in the near valleys beside the agricultural
lands and without any observation form any official sector.
- To solve this problem, waste water net and
processing station must be established.
The internal roads net
-the history shows that Al-Zababdeh
region has been located at important passage which links the north of
Palestine
with its south, and links the western of Palestine
to Jordan valley. And till this time, this region is still as connecting
link for the present roads net.
The problems and the future plans
-the high coasts of streets construction and maintenance is the
main obstacle, that because the municipality can not execute the roads
construction projects. On the other hand, the percentage of the roads net
length which is in good condition, doesn't exceed 25%
-the extension of the municipality' boarders from 460donums to
1723donums makes the municipality face new obstacles, that it can not save the
infrastructures for the new suburbs, and
it can not pave these areas roads which
its length is 31km.
-the future internal roads plan is constructing, rehabilitating
and maintaining all roads included in the municipality boarders. but, and due
to the people needs ,the municipality try to construct and rehabilitate 8km
internal roads, this includes
rehabilitating constructed roads which is in bad condition ,and widening the
roads in the new suburbs.
Additional projects
The municipality looks forward to achieve and
implement other projects to keep one saving good services for people, such as:
-rehabilitating the industrial
zone, and providing it with electricity, water and roads.
-Important equipment for the municipality works:
To support the municipality work, some important
equipment must be saved, especially the engineering department equipments:
(surveying set, two computers, truck and digger (wheels bulldozer)).
Important addresses:
1-Al-Zebabdeh municipality tel:
042-510202/3/4
Email:
baladiyat_zababdeh@yahoo.com
Website:
www.zababdeh.com
2-The
Arab
American
University tel: 042510801
Website :www.aauj.edu
3-the agricultural relief
Tel:
042510462
Website
:www.pal-arc.org
