The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has damaged the prospects facing many children who will grow up in Palestine. Years of violence, military incursions, restriction on movement, and the demolition of homes and buildings have had a destructive effect on the opportunities available to Palestinian children.

Islamic Relief plans to improve the provision of preschool education by developing toy and book libraries in selected kindergartens in Palestine.

Few kindergartens in the Palestinian Territories have suitable playing rooms and enough toys and books to stimulate the children. The current economic crisis has left many Palestinians without salaries, and many kindergartens have been forced to reduce fees to the very minimum.

As a result, most kindergartens have unofficially ended up as charities, where the fees do not even cover running costs.

Poverty is most pronounced in the refugee camps, where families struggle to provide their children with access to educational materials and recreational activities.

Through this project, Islamic Relief will extend its support to preschool children, and to create an environment suitable for learning.

Providing the kindergartens with these facilities will provide the children with educational, rich and beneficial activities which will help them to grow into balanced individuals.

Project Objectives

§         To alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian preschool children;

§         To provide the Palestinian children in disadvantaged areas with minimum requirement of educational and recreational facilities;

§         To assist disadvantaged kindergartens by establishing equipped and furnished toys and books libraries for them;

§         To assist the local educational organizations and institutes to provide quality service.

Project Activities

§         Establish, equipping, and furnishing toys and books libraries for 30 disadvantaged kindergartens in Gaza Strip and 30 in the West Bank;

§         Provide Palestinian children in disadvantaged areas with minimum requirement of educational and recreational facilities;

§         Assist the Palestinian community to build a new generation of educated and psychologically stabled members.

"Islamic Relief is striving for a fairer world. Our mission is to help the poor and needy to live sustainable, self-reliant lives within safe and caring communities. Our work is guided and shaped by the core values of accountability, humanitarianism, neutrality and impartiality, inclusiveness, integrity and co-operation, all of which are also integral to the Islamic faith."
Dr Hany El Banna - Founder of Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief was established in 1984 and our unique approach is the result of these many years of hands-on experience.

1. Where possible we adopt a community partnership-based approach; encouraging community involvement, understanding and ownership of projects.
2. We run the majority of our field projects ourselves, giving us direct insight into the problems faced and how best to solve them.
3. We aim to empower those we help in order to achieve sustainable results.
4. Though our emergency response teams are quick to respond to emergencies around the world, we continue to support communities long after the initial media interest has died down.
5. We recruit staff locally to benefit from their local knowledge. This ensures that we are culturally sensitive and allows us to reach communities and areas other organisations cannot.
6. Where necessary we coordinate our work with other reputable aid agencies, local organisations and governments.

Millennium Development Goals

Islamic Relief is committed to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which have been agreed by the world’s leading development institutions in an effort to meet the needs of the world’s poorest by the year 2015. 

The goals:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

For more information about the MDGs, please visit: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/