Local Activity Roundup
In addition to international advocacy efforts with students in Gaza, Al Fakhoora also works with them to organize and execute their own actitivites locally on the ground to impact more students, families and the extended community. Here is a look back at some of the highlights the students have shared with us.
1. The seven Fakhoora teaching assistants (TAs) continued to work with students on a variety of different local advocacy activities. Kicking off with a workshop on human rights, discussing the issue of “Identity and Society’’. The workshop was attended by 20 passionate and active students and included a lot of information and practical activities, once completed, students received certificates they can use to build their resume and add to the wealth of experience gained being an Al Fakhoora scholarship student.
2. A second workshop was held on April 10th, by the leadership expert, Professor Mohammad Hussein for 25 students on the important traits of being a leader, such as encouragement, patience and time management. The workshop ended with students working on and discussing a case study and providing feedback on the training to further add value to similar trainings in the future.
3. On April 16th, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, more than eighteen students participated in acting and producing a video message in order to express unity with Palestinian prisoners, Al-Fakhoora students tried to highlight the suffering of prisoners in the Israeli occupation prisons in English. An interview with a freed prisoner, Mr. Al Shawwa was conducted by the students the following day. Mr. Al Shawwa talked about the conditions of the Palestinians in the Israeli prisons. The TAs also invited Malaka Shwikh, a young female activist and the leader of the “Freedom for Samer El Essawi” campaign in Gaza to talk about her experiences with other students interested in activism and advocacy.
4. Another workshop was conducted with a Scottish delegation from the Youth School Institution and attended by 20 students. The workshop handled Palestine issues in creative ways, and suggested means for addressing the international community from a new side, and on the other hand bringing income for the contributors in small projects through the ‘factory of talents’ project, which is directed by the Youth School Institution in Scotland.
5. On Nakba Day, the students organized an activity during which an expert of Palestinian and regional history delivered a speech about the story of occupied Palestine. Most of the issues were prepared and presented by the students themselves. For example, some students participated by producing and screening film, while others participated by decorating the place with embroidered costumes and Palestinian products, while the rest participated by singing traditional Palestinian songs. It created a sense of camaraderie between the students, and encouraged them to be proactive.
6. During June, the local activities temporarily stopped for students to complete their final exams. But, on the 17th of June, the female staff, TA’s and students, had an informal gathering at Gaza Municipal Park. 17 students participated in the team-building day out, to establish stronger friendships with each other, the TA’s and staff and to discuss suggestions and feedback from them about the activities of Al-Fakhoora.
7. On the fourth and eighth of July, the male and female students of the Al Fakhoora Program respectively celebrated the end of another successful academic year and exam period, with leisure trips for the to a local chalet. Students spent the day hanging out by a swimming pool, eating and taking part in a variety of different and fun activities.
