The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Musa Abu Zeid, reflected on the experiences of his Ministry’s cooperation with CHF projects, “The partnership between CHF and the Ministry of Youth and Sports had a significant positive impact on the lives of children and youth in Palestine. This partnership has yielded infrastructure projects that facilitate the development process and contribute to building a flourishing society.”

Improving Education Within and Beyond the Classroom

CHF’s work in the education sector is not limited to construction projects alone. We also work directly and indirectly with youth across Palestine through projects supporting children and youth. One example is the Youth Shadow Local Councils program YSLC, which are a voluntary bodies composed of Palestinian youth (15-22 years old) who are elected by their peers to mirror the positions of their local government. Youth Councils are a dramatically new concept for Palestinian Local Government Units (LGUs) and community acceptance was an issue, particularly resistance to the idea of involving young women in governance. But if the program was met with skepticism early on, today it has the support of mayors, representatives, communities and the youth themselves, as they have seen the impact and success of their Councils. The project provides youth an opportunity to play a leading role in their communities and learn more about civil governance.