Dec, 2025
“These children carry fear with them every day... Yet they still come to school, searching for a space where they can simply be children.”
Tasneem is a kindergarten teacher at the Ni’lin public kindergarten. The 30-year-old lives and works in Ni’lin, a village in the central West Bank, where daily military incursions, road closures and movement restrictions shape every aspect of life. For children here, fear is constant: it affects how they walk to school, how they sleep, and how they navigate their world.
Teaching was always her calling. Tasneem’s father is an Arabic language instructor who inspired her love for teaching. When she was in the eighth grade, she created a test for her father’s tenth-grade students. Impressed, he told her she would have to grade it herself. The moment confirmed her path: she would dedicate her life to teaching and guiding young minds.
Since 2019, Tasneem has been teaching five-year-olds in the village. She leads storytelling and emotional-sharing sessions where children are encouraged to express their feelings.
“Even a small moment of honesty — ‘I felt scared today’ — can change everything for a child living in fear,” she says.
“Even a small moment of honesty — ‘I felt scared today’ — can change everything for a child living in fear.”
One week ago, Mays, one of her young charges, arrived at school visibly shaken. Her parents had been driving her to kindergarten when the military entered Ni’lin. Gripped by fear, they crashed the car. Thankfully no one was injured.
After she was dropped off at school Mays ran to Tasneem and said, “I couldn’t wait to see you to tell you what happened.”
“This is not an isolated incident," Tasneem observes. "Every day, children here face moments that no child should endure.”
“These children carry fear with them every day. They wake up to soldiers, blocked streets, the smell of smoke and tear gas, and the sounds of shouting and explosions. Yet they still come to school, searching for a space where they can simply be children.”
Since that day, Mays has refused to leave Tasneem’s side, clinging to her in the classroom, on the playground and even during small breaks. Her constant need for reassurance reflects the deep fear and uncertainty she, and many children in Ni’lin, carry every day.
“She looks to me not just for guidance, but for safety,” Tasneem says.
“This isn’t just about one child; it’s a glimpse into the lives of all the children here. Trauma follows them everywhere, home, school, even in their play, and it shapes how they feel, act and trust the world around them.”
Many teachers like Tasneem have been trained by Anera to support children like Mays, helping them process trauma and find their voice. Over the past decade, 1,000 teachers have received early childhood training.
“I learned how to listen without judgment, how to ask questions that let children speak, and how to help them feel safe enough to share,” Tasneem says.
“I learned how to listen without judgment, how to ask questions that let children speak, and how to help them feel safe enough to share.“
In September 2019, Anera established the first government-run kindergarten in Ni’lin, providing access to early education for very young and disadvantaged children as part of its broader school-building program. Since then, Anera has constructed 21 new kindergartens across the West Bank and Gaza, and renovated over 200 more.
Anera’s support goes beyond infrastructure, including child-appropriate furniture, learning resources, toys and materials. Anera also invests in teacher development, offering a 35-day diploma in early childhood care and education, recognized by the Palestinian Ministry of Education, followed by ongoing mentorship and on-the-job support.
“Trauma is constant here, but when children share their fears, even for a few minutes, it cracks open a space for hope. That small space can make all the difference,” Tasneem says.
