A Preschool for the Children of As-Sammu, Palestine and for Generations to Come

“This preschool building program is important for many reasons: children will have access to vital care and education; the ministry will employ women teachers in poor communities and the new preschools will act as training centers for new teachers. A truly sustainable project to benefit many generations to come.”

— Sulieman Mleahat, Anera’s education program director

Anera continues to create new infrastructure for Palestinian preschoolers in the West Bank to learn in stimulating and child-appropriate environments. Our schools are specially designed to let in light and air and to create spacious areas for children to spread out and learn through experience and creativity.

Today, Anera handed over the newly finished As-Sammu Preschool to the Ministry of Education for use by Palestinian preschoolers now and for generations to come.

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As-Sammu, Hebron Governorate

The beautiful village of Seemia is nestled in between rocky hills and winding wadis in the As-Sammu municipality of Hebron. Located 22 kilometers south of the city of Hebron, As-Sammu is the southernmost city in the West Bank. The town has a rich history dating back thousands of years. Today, As-Sammu is home to over 25,000 Palestinians. The city suffers from high unemployment, with rates reaching nearly 60% in the first half of the decade. Many of municipality residents work in agriculture or as day laborers in Israel.

Israeli occupation has had a profound impact on the area. The city is bordered by the Israeli settlements of Asael, Shim’a, and Ma’on. The Israeli separation wall makes up As-Sammu’s southern border. In 2005, 2,470 acres of land in As-Sammu and nearby towns were seized for construction of the wall.

Before the school was built, there were a handful of private, for-profit preschool classes, but no public preschools catering to disadvantaged children in Seemia or the surrounding area. The plot of land is very close to two ministry elementary schools. The mayor’s father owned the property and agreed to donate it for the preschool. It is a beautiful site!