TİKA Supports Palestinian Students in Occupied East Jerusalem

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) carried out the maintenance of the Riyadh Al-Aqsa Schools in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem and provided tablet computers for 300 students and 30 teachers.

TİKA restored and provided the necessary equipment for the Riyadh Al-Aqsa Schools in the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem and provided tablet computers for 300 students and 30 teachers as part of its countrywide digitalization project in Palestine.

Riyadh Al-Aqsa Schools provide service in the Old City of East Jerusalem with three schools, one of which is adjacent to the north wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque. With the support of TİKA, the schools where 300 poor and orphan students receive education under the conditions of occupation in Jerusalem were prepared for the new school year with intensive works. With the tablets distributed to students and teachers, the appropriate infrastructure was provided for the development of education in compliance with the necessities of the time.

Speaking at the distribution ceremony held in Al-Aqsa Schools, TİKA Palestine Program Coordinator Bülent Korkmaz said, “Riyadh Al-Aqsa Schools have been carrying out educational activities in the Old City of Jerusalem since 1976. Hundreds of students are studying in these schools, chaired by Dr. Sheikh Ikrime Sabri. TİKA supports these nonprofit schools in which most of the students are poor and orphans. Today, we provide maintenance, repair and equipment support for the last one of these schools. We also included this school into our digitalization project initiated in 6 schools built by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Turkey in Palestine.”

Riyadh Al-Aqsa Schools General Manager Adil al-Hallak said, “We opened these schools, but they were in a terrible situation. Therefore, we wanted to cooperate with TİKA. TİKA renewed the painting, equipment and desks of our schools. Finally, they distributed tablets and fulfilled our technology need.”

Stating that they are trying to support the children studying in schools and their families to help them continue their existence in Jerusalem's Old City and in Al-Aqsa, Hallak said, “Turkey has always stood by us as a state and nation. This is not Turkey's first support. Turkey contributed to the development of schools and gave a great support for the continuation of Palestinian existence in this sacred city.”

TİKA continues to give infrastructure support to raise well-educated and socially beneficial individuals who will shape the future of Palestine by providing equipment and renovations to many schools and educational institutions as well as Turkish schools which were constructed and equipped in 6 Palestinian cities.

With the cooperation of the Turkish Ministry of National Education, TİKA provided 2,500 tablet computers to be used in educational activities in Palestine and initiated the digitalization project in 6 Turkish schools, which were established by TİKA in recent months. TİKA continues its support for the education of Palestinian people with the construction of girls' dormitory with a capacity of 400 students in the University of Jerusalem.