DOHA: Education Above All’s Al Fakhoora programme, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) have agreed on the implementation of joint education, reconstruction and psycho-social support projects in Gaza, with a focus on damages in Gaza during last summer’s hostilities.
The projects will also strengthen child protection systems to provide psycho-social support to children, and will enhance adolescents’ social entrepreneurship skills, so that they can become active agents of change in their communities.
UNDP and Unicef have come to Doha to present their work packages to Al Fakhoora, after which the implementation of the projects will take place. The purpose of the meetings and workshops this week has been to determine in detail the milestones of the projects’ implementation and agree on the monitoring and evaluation processes. These projects in Gaza represent a unique collaboration between Al Fakhoora, UNDP and Unicef, where their technical and implementation teams will be working closely together in an unprecedented way, and with a high level of engagement between the organisations.
UNDP will respond to the current deficit of classrooms in Gaza, focusing on the reconstruction of educational facilities working closely with Unicef, who will provide guidance on ensuring that the facilities are inclusive, child-friendly learning environments. The projects will create employment opportunities for the people of Gaza, with Al Fakhoora students and young people sharing in the implementation of the projects.
In November 2014, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar (MOFA) signed an agreement to donate US$40m from the Qatar Development Fund to support Education Above All’s Al Fakhoora programme. Subsequent to this donation Al Fakhoora signed agreements with UNDP, Unicef and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) in February 2015 in Doha.
Farooq Burney, Director of Al Fakhoora, said, “Moving forward with the implementation of these joint projects is testament to our commitment to ensure that the funds received from the Qatar Development Fund are put to the best use in Gaza.”
Anne-Claire Dufay, Unicef -State of Palestine Deputy Special Representative said: “This joint programme supported by Al-Fakhoora helps provide children and adolescents with safer inclusive child-friendly schools. The students themselves will decorate their schools with creative and uplifting designs.”
Narjess Saidane, UNDP Deputy Special Representative said, “The needs in Gaza are immense, with more than two thirds of the youth population unemployed. Through this strategic project with Al Fakhoora, and Unicef, UNDP will improve access to education for children and adolescents in Gaza, including children with disabilities, by building or reconstructing more than 200 new classrooms, thus providing safe spaces for learning. The project will also enable the rehabilitation of university premises, providing new options for training and employment for Gaza youth, empowering them to shape their future and access opportunities for a resilient and successful life.” The Peninsula
