Education

Upgrading Schools in the West Bank – A Secondary School for Girls

Restoring a safe and secure school environment for the students of Al Fatah Girls Secondary School

The needs are great in Palestine and upgrading schools in the West Bank enables children to continue their education in a safe and appropriate learning environment. In East Jerusalem, schools are particularly under-funded and even small programmes can make a huge difference to students there.

Al Fatah Girls Secondary School was established in 2003, in response to a shortage in classrooms for female students in the Wadi Al-Joz (meaning Valley of the Walnuts) neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, just outside the Old City of Jerusalem walls. In contrast to the otherwise affluent Palestinian areas around it, this neighbourhood of approximately 13,000 residents is marked by poorer areas that are largely clustered around the industrial zone in the valley. Like many institutions in the Jerusalem directorate, Al Fatah does not receive local government funding, and so due to lack of funds, the school has fallen into a state of disrepair over time. However, Al Fatah School is considered one of the best secondary schools in the surrounding area, providing an excellent education to its 600 students; many of whom come from marginalised families living within the disadvantaged Wadi Al-Joz neighbourhood.

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The school has: four floors with 19 classrooms, a computer lab, science lab, library, principal’s and admin office, and toilets facilities, as well as a meeting hall and playground.

Renovations and repairs were carried out across the school and its premises, including: demolitions & removal, building works, tiling, insulation & roofing, metalworks, carpentry & woodwork, painting, electrical works, the expansion of the courtyard and a new Mashrabiya; a communal drinking fountain space. As an additional bonus, the project was also able to use funds from some project savings in order to purchase some new resources for the students, including: stationery and printers, arts supplies and a variety of sports equipment. Students and staff were very happy with their upgraded facilities and thanked everyone who donated to this project!