The Qatar Development Fund is donating $10mn to the Wajd programme in Palestine to support 2,108 children and youths who lost their parents in the Israeli assault on Gaza in the summer of 2014.
The Wajd programme will be launched in Ramallah and Gaza today in partnership with the Palestinian Welfare Association, the Bank of Palestine and the Haj Hashim A’atah Al-Shawa Fund.
Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari, General Director of the Qatar Development Fund, said: “The Wajd programme seeks to empower the children and young people of Gaza so they can live in dignity, achieve their ambitions and become active members of their community.
The programme, which coincides with the one-year anniversary of the Israeli assault on Gaza, will provide support for 2,108 orphans and their families until the age of 22.
These efforts are part of Qatar’s continued commitment to supporting economic and social development in Arab and developing countries.”
Dr Tafeeda Jarbawi, Director General of the Palestinian Welfare Association, said: “We want to extend our thanks to the Qatar Development Fund as our partners and main supporters for standing by the Palestinian people in their just cause. We would also like to thank our strategic partners at the Bank of Palestine and the Haj Hashim A’atah Al-Shawa Fund for their contributions to the work of the Palestinian Welfare Association.”
Rushdi Ghalayini, Deputy General Manager of the Bank of Palestine, said: “Our contribution to the Wajd programme stems from our humanitarian vision to provide support for the education, healthcare and training of the orphans in Gaza. It is a continuation of the humanitarian support we provided during the Israeli assault on Gaza.”
The $10mn donation will consist of instalments of $2.5mn from 2015-2018. It will provide financial support for 2,108 orphans and their families until the age of 22. The donation will go toward supporting the recipients’ education needs, including tuition, school supplies, teaching materials, uniforms, transport, after school programmes and training courses. Healthcare will also be a cornerstone of the Wajd programme, and the orphans will have access to medical check-ups, medical treatment, rehabilitation for the disabled, and psychological and support services.
To prepare young people for entering the job market, the Wajd programme will provide professional development courses and vocational training. In addition, the recipients will be able to participate in revenue-generating pilot projects to gain work experience.
Finally, the Wajd programme will aim to build the technical capabilities of the organisations working with the orphans on-the-ground, as well as enhance collaboration among the various partners to ensure a holistic approach to the delivery of quality services.