Khaled Alkilani, 10 years old, lives in Gaza in a humble house that has a large part of its ceiling covered by worn metal sheets. His family tries to cope with the hard living conditions and their daily needs, especially after the death of their father, who was the family’s only breadwinner after the 2008–2009 Israeli assault on Gaza.
Khaled, the youngest child in the family, doesn’t care about the conditions in his small house or the heat of the summer when he sleeps next to his brothers. As usual, he peaks through a little hole in the ceiling to look up to the sky as he recalls his day with Mustaqbali and the activities he did. He tells his mother and brothers about his friends and the funny things that happened during the day. They love him a lot and always laugh at the way he tells his innocent life stories.
For four years now, Khaled has benefited from the Mustaqbali program through the support of Bayt.com. He is in fourth grade and continues to attend remedial education in major subjects such as Arabic, English, Math and Science.
“The remedial classes are helpful”, Khaled says with a beautiful smile on his face. “I love attending them and have never been absent because they help me get excellent results at school. I also have a lot of friends who I like to study with.”
Over the years, Khaled has attended the Mustaqbali program and his capacity in learning, writing and reading has improved. He is still in primary education but he dreams of becoming a lawyer in the future; a dream that enhances his self-confidence. The program helps and supports him to continue on his path to success and to always get high results.
Khaled is like a butterfly, confidently going from one activity to another. He participates in Mustaqbali’s co-curricular activities such as arts, creative writing, storytelling and reading. He has also attended the Mustaqbali football league and the educational and recreational trips, which he really enjoyed.
Every year, Mustaqbali provides the basic necessities for school, like uniforms, stationery, and backpacks, so that the right to education for Khaled, and the other children in the program, is ensured throughout all educational stages, from kindergarten to undergraduate university.
As Khaled’s mother says, “Mustaqbali is an umbrella that protected us and led my children to a place of safety. Khaled and his brothers are in a better situation now because of the program’s services, which have alleviated the psychological pressure on us and have fulfilled the needs for paving the path to a good future.”
The Mustaqbali program was launched in 2009 by the Abraaj Group and Taawon (Welfare Association). It seeks to empower the under-privileged and orphaned children of Gaza following the war and to provide them with the prospect of a satisfying childhood and an accomplished life. It has contributed to the spread of hope, success, and better lives for children, and, in turn, the development of Gaza. Bayt.com has been a supporter of the program since 2012, sponsoring 25 children every year.
