Qizan Abu Rashwan is one of the most marginalized areas in the Gaza Strip. Almost 11,000 people reside in the area, living mostly in poverty, at times lacking most basic services.
Qizan Abu Rashwan has no connection to a power grid. There is no sewage system, and even access to water is not guaranteed.
There is only one poorly-equipped elementary school in the area, therefore children do not have access to proper education.
That is why the Youth Stars Center was launched in 2017 as a community initiative to help remedy some of these problems. In 2019, they received a license from the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Gaza, thus making them an official organization.
The activities of the Center range from providing basic education to pupils from various age groups, to providing supplies and food to poor communities.
The Center also includes a special section for women, whose main focus is to fight illiteracy among the female population of the area.
Among the Center’s activities, there are several entertainment and sports programs for children, including a football team, fully sponsored by the US-based Palestinian newspaper The Palestine Chronicle.
Despite their successes, the Center continues to struggle with the lack of consistent sources of funds, which are needed to allow the volunteers to carry on with its various programs.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
