400 students received school bags, school uniforms, and stationary in northern Gaza this January. The Palestinian Wefaq Association implemented this project, called "Support Gaza School Children to Get Their Right to Education", distributing the materials in schools, houses, and stores to some of the neediest students in the northern Gaza Strip. About half of the students are in elementary school and about half are in middle school, both boys and girls.
Many of these students lost their parents in the war last winter, while others have unemployed parents who cannot meet their needs. More than 40% of Gazan children do not have school bags and stationary due to poverty, and a high percentage of these leave school for that reason. In order to motivate students and keep them in school, UPA funded this project to provide them with these necessary materials. Now, their parents and caretakers have one less worry.
One example of a student who benefited from this project is a sixth-grader named Asmaa. Asmaa lives in Jabailya and attends Halima Saadia School for Girls. Her father was a laborer in a factory but he could no longer work due to the siege on Gaza, and Asmaa’s performance plummeted as a result. Her parents could not afford to even supply her with a school bag, stationary, or good clothes for school. Now that she received these items, her performance has already improved. And despite their isolation, Gazan children know there are people in the United States and all around the world who care about them and want to help them pursue their education.
Download UPA Education Information >>
Read the composition "What I Learned in Palestine" >>
