RTI Club's School Bag Program for Refugee Children in the Bethlehem Area
You can make a child's school life better with 10 US Dollar Donation
Refugee children are among the most impoverished and traumatized population in Occupied Palestine. Access to education is fundamental to a child's ability to improve their circumstances, develop their minds and provide for their future. Although education is highly valued in the Palestinian community, this fundamental resource now seemingly feels less and relevant to the lives of many children born and living in Palestinian refugee camps.
Amidst serious unemployment and poor living conditions their families struggle to provide the basic necessities of food, water, clothing and shelter. In addition, the children have witnessed the violent deaths of friends and close family members and the demolition of their homes. Understandably many of these children are beginning to lose hope in their future. A sign of this growing despair is a lack of interest in attending school and applying themselves to their studies.
Can you give them hope? Can you help provide 1,000 Palestinian refugee children with a "school bag"? This school bag will also contain essentials they otherwise would not have, such as pens, pencils and notebooks. It will encourage them to continue with their studies during this new school year. Each "school bag" will cost 10 US dollars.
There are about 4,200 school-aged children living in the three refugee camps in Bethlehem. The School Bag program is proposing to support nearly a quarter of the poorest children, between the ages of 6 and 12 years. Children without a parent due to death or imprisonment will be given priority. RTI Club members will identify the participant children through an application process, under the guidance of Holy Land Trust staff and the schools.
These backpacks and contents will be purchased by the RTI Club members who will deliver them personally to the children in their schools. The RTI (Remember the Innocents) Club is a group of 10 boys and girls from the Bethlehem District, aged 12 to 16 years. These young people volunteer their time to identify, organize and provide enrichment opportunities for other children in their community. Because they themselves have grown up under military occupation, they have a deep understanding of the suffering of Palestinian children and an appreciation for uplifting opportunities that counteract depression resulting from 24-hour curfews, violent trauma, home demolition, denied access to school and recreation, disabling injuries and death.
