Al-Fakhoora launched the first phase of their education initiatives to develop the potential of Palestinian students, recently. The 10-year project in the form of a comprehensive scholarship programme for the Palestinian students in Gaza will provide full scholarships to 100 students for four to five years of higher education.
Al Fakhoora is an international advocacy campaign launched by students in Qatar in January 2009. The group, focusing on protecting and restoring education in Gaza, is supported by H H Sheikha Mozah bint Naser Al Missned, Unesco Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education.
The newly launched scholarship programme is being implemented through a triple partite agreement between Al Fakhoora, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project was launched with a signing of MoU by Abdullathif Al Shayef on behalf of Al Fakhoora, Manour bin Feten for IDB and Naser Faqih for UNDP.
“The scholarship programme is an important effort to build the kind of higher education capacity critical to the development of the Palestinian youth,” said Farooq Burney, Project Director of Al Fakoora. “We are enthusiastic to see this project moving forward and expect great results from our partnership with IDB and UNDP in equipping Palestinian students for a brighter future.”
Al Fakhoora has already mobilised a team of mentors and social workers to support recipients of the scholarships, in addition to providing them with full financial support for their studies. Academically bright students will be selected from the poorest of the poor and all their needs beyond financial aid will also be looked into. A comprehensive network will be formed to ensure that the beneficiaries of the scholarship enjoy the education. The support will also be targeting specific professional sectors as per the needs of Gaza.
“We are dedicated to supporting the higher education of Palestinian students as well as asserting the right to education in the contemporary discourse on the Palestinian issue. As Such we are aware that it takes more than financial backing to ensure the successful development of these future thinkers and leaders,” said Jacqueline O’Rourke, Advisor to the office of sheikh Mozah and responsible for oversight of the project.
(The Penninsula)
