EDUCATION
In the past few years, the economic condition of Palestine (both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank) has declined at an alarming rate. There are not one but many reasons that have led to the worsening of Palestine’s economy, and as a result, there has been a sharp rise in poverty.
Having to live in poverty, most families cannot access or afford many basic requirements and facilities. One such aspect is that of higher education, which many Palestinian students are deprived of. Due to financial limitations, the prospect of university education becomes an unattainable dream for many deserving students.
What are the factors that are contributing to the rise of poverty in Palestine? Is there any option for such students to fulfill their dream of pursuing higher education? This post aims to draw your attention to such questions and explore ways to support Palestinian education.
Analysis of Palestine’s Economic Condition
According to World Bank’s report, poverty in Palestinian territories has increased to 30%. The Gaza strip is affected more severely compared to the West Bank. In fact, when both regions were analyzed separately, West Bank’s poverty rate had actually dropped from around 18% to 14%, while that in Gaza saw a sharp rise from 38% to 53%. Essentially, this means that one in two people in Gaza is living in poverty.
The 2017 report from the Palestine Central Board of Statistics provided detailed insights into the financial conditions of the people of Palestine. Some interesting facts highlighted in the report were as such:
- The income of 41% of individuals in Palestine was less than the national poverty line.
- 17% of individuals lived in deep poverty (deep poverty indicates income less than 50% of the poverty line).
- The monthly per capita expenditure of people in Palestine was broken down into different categories. The biggest factor was food – 30.5% per capita expenditure, followed by transport and communication at 18.5%. Education was at the ninth position in the list, making up 4.1% of the per capita expenditure.
The first two statistics show the sad condition of many families in Palestine, as they are left to make ends meet with little income. The third point highlights that education is not a high priority for people with limited income as food, transport, communication, and housing are more essential for survival and sustenance.
“Living under occupation…Education is the way,” says Walid Mizyed, Founder & Executive Director of Reach Education Fund.
With poverty on the rise, many families can’t afford the costs of higher education. It’s a sad state for the students in such families, as pursuing further education seems almost impossible for them due to their circumstances. In fact, recent data shows that only 11.4% of Palestinian students over the age of 18 can attend higher education. It’s disheartening, as well as unfair, especially for many students who are academically gifted and brimming with potential.
Education is not just essential to empower individuals but is also a right of every student. As a lot of bright students in Palestine are helpless and unable to pursue university courses, there is an urgent need for external aid and assistance for such students in the form of charities that support Palestinian education. Organizations and individuals can also donate for higher education in Palestine and contribute in whatever big or small way to shape the future of the young people in the West Bank and Gaza.
What Factors are Responsible for Rising Poverty in Palestine?
There is no doubt that poverty is the biggest factor that prevents Palestinian students from pursuing a university education. But it’s important to understand the cause behind such poor financial conditions and analyze various factors due to which poverty is rampant in Palestine.
Political Tensions
The main reason for the declining economy of Palestine is the continuous political tension with Israel which has been going on for more than 50 years. Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories also took away their independence, making them unable to grow as a free nation and improve their economy.
Blockade in the Gaza Strip
It’s now been 14 years since Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade on the Gaza strip. This blockade restricts the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza, leaving the region highly dependent on Israeli goods and products and making them incapable of freely developing their economy.
Unemployment
According to a UNCTAD report, unemployment in Palestinian territory was 27% in 2016, and particularly in Gaza, it was 42%. These figures could have been higher because they did not account for people who dropped out of the labor market and stopped seeking employment altogether. Youth unemployment is also prominent in Palestine, which results from the fact that many students cannot afford higher education and thus become incapable of finding job opportunities.
Trade Restrictions
Due to the blockade of Palestinian territories, they are cut off from the international trade market, which takes away a huge revenue source. Palestinian products can only be exported to Israel and even that is an extremely difficult process. Without international trade and export, it’s only natural that their economy takes a huge hit.
Frequent Wars and Conflicts
A huge part of Palestine’s already feeble finances is further depleted by war and conflict, followed by reconstruction. A recent news piece highlighted that Palestine had suffered between $7.8 billion and $16.7 billion economic losses. It also stated how Gaza’s economic growth was just around 5%, in contrast to their 40% population growth.
These are the significant factors that have led to the steady rise of poverty and the steep downfall of the economy in Palestinian territories. The conflict is more prominent in Gaza compared to the West Bank, so they are more severely affected. As a result, the standard of living has dropped, leaving a huge number of Palestinian students unable to afford education.
What’s even more worrying is that the current scenario is creating a cyclic effect, where poverty causes students to sacrifice education, which, later on, makes them unable to shape their career and create a source of income, and that, in turn, further increases unemployment and poverty. In such a scenario, external financial support for students can create a huge impact, not just in their personal lives but gradually, in the overall economy of Palestine.
Why is University Education a Dream for Many Palestinian Students?
As the points above have made it clear, many Palestinians live under the poverty line and factors such as political tensions, war and conflict, and unemployment have plundered the national economy. As people struggle to earn their living, it’s obvious that basic needs like food and housing will be of greater priority and necessity for people. Under such circumstances, education becomes a luxury for many, and even worse, an impossibility for some.
Many students who demonstrate exceptional academic talents along with a deep desire to learn and acquire knowledge must let go of their aspirations and ambitions due to financial limitations. In many cases, even students who do go through extreme hardships and manage to get into universities end up questioning their decisions. There have been reports of students going into serious debts or eventually dropping out of college after realizing that the cost of university education is too much for them to handle.
As a result, many young individuals who could have had bright and successful careers in respected fields and industries are compelled to let go such prospects. Instead, they end up working menial jobs, entering the labor market, and taking up whatever low-wage opportunities they can get their hands on just to support their families.
And to make things worse, the current pandemic paired with recent clashes have further impacted the education sector in Palestine.
Excerpts from a 2020 report stated that due to lockdown and closing of colleges, 30% of students dropped out in one Gaza university while only 10% of students paid the full semester fees due to uncertainty on when colleges will resume and return to normalcy. On the other hand, recent conflicts between Hamas and Israeli forces have led to some university and college buildings being destroyed by bombs and shells. So, security and infrastructure have also become a big concern for students.
The Challenges of Online Learning in Palestine
Since the spread of the covid pandemic, educational institutions worldwide have adapted to online learning. But even that has proved to be a huge challenge in Palestine’s higher education sector.
Firstly, internet connectivity is limited in Palestinian territories as bombings and airstrikes have damaged networking infrastructures. This is the biggest obstacle to online learning in Palestine. In addition, when even the education costs are unaffordable, it’s impossible for many students to think of affording smartphones and laptops for attending online classes. Lastly, where colleges have indeed managed to initiate e-learning, many faculties and students expressed their dissatisfaction with online classes, finding it inefficient or inconvenient.
Thus, the shift to online learning has been anything but smooth in Palestine, further adding to the woes of students who dream of pursuing a university education.
How to Support Palestinian Education?
The biggest hope for Palestinian students who wish to attend university education comes in the form of sponsorships and donations through charities that support children’s education. However, the assistance that pours in from such organizations is still not sufficient, considering the large numbers of students in Palestine. In fact, even back in the 2016-17 academic year, there were 218,415 Palestinian students enrolled in different universities. And that doesn’t even tell us how many more students there were who couldn’t afford to make it into colleges.
These underprivileged, financially deprived students also deserve a chance at pursuing their dreams and goals. And that can come true through individuals and organizations who donate for university scholarship to gifted Palestinian students. In order to support and uplift the situation of higher education, the saddening state of Palestine must be brought to light, and awareness must be raised about the financial distress of these students. By doing so, more people and institutions can come forward to pave the way for deserving, talented students who wish to attain a university education.
Sponsor Palestinian Student’s Education Through Reach Education Fund (REF)
If you would like to play a part in supporting the students of Palestine, you can get in touch with us at Reach Education Fund. We are a US-based non-profit organization that offers scholarships to underprivileged students in Palestine. Our focus remains on students who demonstrate academic excellence and brilliance but lack the finances to afford a university education. We also prioritize orphans and socially underprivileged individuals so that they can shape a better future for themselves.
Your support can mean a lot to us and the many students whose education we sponsor. As a non-profit organization, we depend on individuals and institutions who donate for university scholarships to orphan students in Palestine. Join our mission and help us with your contribution. No matter how big or small, through your donations, we can support college scholarship for a gifted Palestinian student.
We also implement an unbiased screening process to ensure that every student we sponsor is deserving and truly in need of our help. So far, 471 students have been provided scholarships through REF, and you can help us take that number much higher. But our efforts can reach greater heights only with the help of our supporters, those who donate to our cause and become a part of the change that we’re trying to create.
There are many students in Palestine who need us, but we need your help. Consider supporting us and donate for higher education in Palestine so that the dream of university education can become a reality for Palestinian students.
