Anera opens the first public preschool in Ni’lin
The Stengel family and Anera speak at the opening
July 9, 2019 | Ramallah – With generous support from the Stengel family, Anera has completed construction of a preschool in Ni’lin village. The school is the latest contribution in Anera’s campaign to dramatically expand preschool education for Palestinian children.
An inauguration ceremony for the new school took place on Thursday, July 4. The deputy minister of education, the mayor of Ni’lin, and the village council joined Anera staff and members of the Stengel family in celebrating the opening of this vital educational institution. The preschool will open its doors to children on September 1, 2019.
Anera’s education program manager, Sulieman Mleahat, commented,
“The Nilin preschool project is a wonderful example of cooperative development: the local community contributed the land; the Ministry of Education will staff and supervise the teachers, and Anera built the center and will train the teachers. We are particularly grateful to the Stengel family for their generosity.”
Although USAID cuts have significantly impacted Anera, the organization continues many programs with the support of private and institutional donors, including building infrastructure like preschools. In April, Anera inaugurated a school in Qibya, and plans to complete five more preschools by the end of August. In addition to building the schools, Anera conducts trainings for the teachers and works with parents to ensure that the preschools meet international standards for excellence.
Currently, most Palestinian children don’t go to preschool due to a lack of facilities. Many of the preschools that do exist are in makeshift spaces. In 2010 there were only four government preschools in the West Bank. The schools Anera is building will more than double the number of public preschools.
The Ministry of Education will staff and maintain the schools. With these preschools, Anera hopes to establish a successful model that will be scaled-up across Palestine.
Anera is the leading organization working to advance early childhood development in Palestine. Anera’s 50-in-5 campaign – 50 new kindergartens in five years – builds new schools in impoverished and remote communities to create environments where children are well prepared to succeed. Anera is committed to establishing strong educational programs for early childhood, the most sensitive period in a person’s life for cognitive, physical, and emotional development.
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- Inaugurating the preschool
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- Sean Carroll, Anera president, speaks at the opening
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- The support of the Stengel family made construction of the school possible
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- A Ni’lin schoolgirl with Palestinian flag
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- Ni’lin schoolgirls wearing traditional thobes
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- Ni’lin preschool ribbon cutting
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- Plaque: In memory of Albert Sowan Hackim MD
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- A Ni’lin schoolgirl with flower bouquet
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- The Stengel family with school children in the new preschool
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- Ni’lin children at play in the new preschool
For more information, please contact:
Steven Fake
Media Relations Officer, Anera
202.266.9719
[email protected]
About Anera
For 51 years, Anera has helped refugees and others hurt by conflicts in the Middle East live with dignity and purpose. Anera, which has no political or religious affiliation, works on the ground with partners in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, Lebanon, and Jordan. We mobilize resources for immediate humanitarian relief and for sustainable health, education, and economic development efforts. Our staff are from the communities they serve, navigating the politics that constrict progress to get help where it’s needed most. In this way, Anera has grown to deliver more than $65 million in programming annually. We will keep building better lives until hope finds its way in the Middle East.