2006 PROJECTS

Arab Evangelical Episcopal School

Ramallah, West Bank

Needy students fund - $16,650  

This co-educational school located 10 miles north of Jerusalem educates 650 Muslims and Christians from kindergarten through high school. The school, which receives the highest educational ratings, includes the empowerment of women as an important component in the curriculum. Most students go on to universities and prepare to be the future leaders of Palestine .

For the past 20 years, the children of the Ramallah community have been significantly affected by the conflict. Many children cry themselves to sleep as the sounds of war are constant. The school has provided programs to help children cope with the distressing socio-political conditions they live with. Youngsters are in need of more attention and programs that will help them forget the Israeli occupation, the imprisonment by the Israeli wall and the general lack of normal activities.

Since its founding 51 years ago, the school and its board have worked to find the funding to support students from needy families. Tuition is about $1,000 a year. While the school has discounted tuition for those who cannot pay the full price, many students come from families who cannot pay anything, because their fathers aren't working. Last year, the American Friends paid the full tuition for a dozen students. The school has refused to abandon students for economic reasons, and this has strained the already tight operating budget. Teacher's salaries have declined dramatically, and most maintenance has been set aside. This has put the school in an untenable situation.

Scholarship support is the only way the school can find relief. The real need is for $40,000. The American Friends have pledged to take $16,500 of this budget