Published On 9/6/2026
In an attempt to remedy the wide educational gaps left by the war, displaced female teachers in the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, launched an educational initiative bearing the slogan “Read,” targeting children and their parents with the aim of compensating for educational losses and psychological support in light of the continued displacement and deteriorating living conditions.
Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Ola Abu Muammar explained, during her coverage from Khan Yunis, that the initiative is being held inside the displacement tents in the Al-Mawasi area, west of the city, where children sit next to their mothers to receive educational lessons aimed at rebuilding basic skills that have declined during more than two years of war.
Mustafa Dhaher, who came up with the idea of the initiative and one of its supporters, said that the project came in response to what he described as the state of educational interruption that afflicted displaced children, explaining that the initiative targets about 180 male and female students distributed among 3 educational groups.
He added that the goal is not limited to academic support, but extends to the psychological aspect as well, noting that many children have lost the ability to read and write as a result of displacement and the conditions that accompanied the war.
He continued that the initiative faces great challenges, most notably the absence of chairs, notebooks, and pens, in addition to the children’s reliance on learning inside tents and in difficult climatic conditions, but he considered the continuation of the educational process a form of resilience.
Simplified educational methods
Within one of the education sessions, teacher Najah Awad, a participant in the initiative, spoke about adopting simplified educational methods based on interactive activities and methods, especially in teaching letters and basic concepts to children.
She said that the lack of space, the density of students, and the lack of educational tools represent the most prominent daily challenges, stressing that the continuation of education despite these circumstances carries a moral and educational dimension for displaced families.
Participation was not limited to children, as elderly women joined the educational lessons, including Umm Muhammad Al-Ajili, who spoke of her desire to return to learning despite the loss of a number of her family members during the war.
Umm Muhammad said that education represents for her a value linked to life, religion, and building the future, expressing her wish that the war would end and that the Palestinians would live a stable life like other peoples.
Umm Tayseer also participated in the initiative, stressing that her primary goal is to support her children and help them regain the education they lost, calling for providing greater support to students and teachers after years of interruption of education.
In scenes that reflect the impact of the initiative on children, the child Nagham (6 years old) said that she learned letters and words and became able to read and write, after war and displacement prevented her from completing kindergarten.
As for the child Aswa, she explained that she is learning the Noorani Qaida within the initiative, hoping to provide seats that facilitate the learning process, while the child Louay expressed his happiness in studying inside the tent, saying that he learned the letter B.
The “Read” initiative comes as part of local attempts to confront the decline in the educational process in the Gaza Strip, after hundreds of schools were destroyed and others were converted into shelter centers for displaced people, at a time when families and teachers are seeking to keep education going despite limited capabilities.
