600 Students Join Four Safe Learning Spaces in Khan Younis

The Social Developmental Forum (SDF) has inaugurated four Safe Learning Spaces (SLSs) at two locations in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as part of its efforts to revitalize educational opportunities for hundreds of children in the Gaza Strip. This effort is part of the “Youth Networks Collaborating Towards Enhanced Educational and Well-being Opportunities for Children and Adolescents” project, sponsored by UNICEF and implemented in partnership with the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP).

One of the spaces is located in the “Jordanian-Kuwaiti Camp” in Al-Mawasi area near the Al-Attar Station. Another one is located near the old Turkish slaughterhouse. The remaining two spaces are in Al “Zoumi Camp” near the British Hospital in southern Khan Younis.

Dozens of displaced children have started attending classes at the four SLSs. Each pair of spaces is staffed with three teachers, who provide Arabic, English, mathematics, and science sessions; with a total of six teachers across the four spaces in the southern governorate.

It Wasn’t Easy

The targeted number of children for each educational space is 150, bringing the total to 600 students across the governorate. The students are grouped according to the grade levels they were attending before the war began in October 2023. The program focuses on grades 4 through 11, spanning upper elementary and secondary education.

It wasn’t easy; the rubble of buildings, the pain of loss, and the attempts to eradicate our cultural and scientific identity. It took us a lot to launch the SLSs to be able to bring our children and youth back to education. We encountered significant challenges in establishing the SLSs, but our determination made it possible. Our efforts were crowned with high-quality outcomes that restored hope despite the ongoing genocide. Inspired by youth dedication, we will keep working, aiming to enhance the prospects of the upcoming generations.

Ahmad Al-Aydi, Social Developmental Forum, field coordinator 

From North to South

Launching the four spaces is part of a vital component within the project, through which SDF aims to establish 12 safe learning spaces distributed across three main areas in the Gaza Strip: the southern, middle, and northern governorates, with two spaces in each location. The project, implemented by SDF in partnership with UNICEF and the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP), aims to improve access to informal educational activities, raise awareness about violence and protection issues, and enhance learning skills. It also seeks to increase youth’s role in supporting educational and recreational initiatives for children and adolescents, ultimately creating a youth network to achieve these goals “Together For  Hope”.