West Wales Friends of Palestine, Sumud School - Gaza (CDD)

WWFOP  is a twinning organisation set up to forge a link between the people of West Wales and the people and communities of Rummanah, Palestine, the Al Jaleel Centre in Jenin Refugee Camp, and most recently, Gaza.

West Wales Friends of Palestine has been befriending and supporting people on the West Bank for the last ten years, and as a result were asked in late 2024 to support the setting up of a tent school for refugee children in Deir Al – Balah in central Gaza. At the time, this was an area with over 300 families living in tents. The children, having been repeatedly displaced, and unable to attend school. With WWFOP’s help, local workers set up Sumud school providing for over 200 children aged 5-12 with education, counselling and food for 3 days a week. Sumud is an Arabic word, special to Palestinians, embodying steadfastness and resilience.

Unfortunately, when the Israeli Army broke the ceasefire and restarted  bombing, it became too dangerous for the children to go to school and it had to close. The head of the school and the teachers were forced to leave not only the tent, but their homes (piles of rubble) and move to the West of Gaza city.

Thankfully, just a few weeks ago, the head of the School found a new area to reset up in, a neighbourhood in Gaza city which is relatively safe, full of displaced people and has hardly been targeted. One tent was secured, with the goal of setting two tents up to create a larger school and more opportunities for the hundreds and hundreds of children without education.

We’re so relieved at this turn of events, and felt it extremely important that we support WWFOP with a CDD of £6000 in June of 2025 to go toward the reopening of the school and the monthly maintenance costs (including the only meal of the day for many children).

It is a glimmer of hope in an unbearable situation. Please visit WWFOP’s websites to learn more:

https://www.facebook.com/WWFOP/