The Olive Harvest Trust – education and support for Palestinian children

 

The Olive Harvest Trust helps underfunded and vulnerable schools in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In recent years the Trust has raised funds to provide new classrooms as well as science, computer and recreational equipment for village schools of the West Bank, notably near Nablus. Trustees visit the region regularly to connect with partners on the ground and ensure our funds are used to best advantage; some also assist farmers with the annual olive harvest – hence the name of this charitable trust.

We have made a short video where students and teachers tell of the interruption and damage to education caused by the occupation. You’ll find it under Education under Fire.

Please also take time to read about the context in the ABC of Occupation. With the Israeli army a permanent presence, day and night, village children suffer immense psychological damage, exacerbated by the frequent mistreatment of their parents and elder siblings, some of whom disappear to Israeli prisons for years on end. Settler attacks in the villages and the olive groves add to their instability. This aggression has escalated in the last few years leading to disturbing cases of PTSD among adolescents.

Bright, resilient and full of humour, young Palestinians deserve a far better future than the present they are condemned to, with few resources and severe limitations on their movement. Our input so far has concentrated on village schools in Burin, Madama and Urif, all three neglected and often attacked by extremist settlers.

We would appreciate any donation you can make to give these children a window of opportunity. It all adds up and we shall ensure that every penny is spent conscientiously and constructively. No one involved in the Olive Harvest Trust receives any remuneration, so 95% of our donations go directly to the schools.

 

Thank you!