With the beginning of the school year, the School Support program of the Terra Sancta College in Bethlehem has started once more. The program was created to help students who either are struggling to study on their own, or don’t have good results in school.
These boys live in a very difficult environment, from a political, social and economic point of view. For this reason the School Support program is extremely important, because it guarantees them a good meal and a strong academic and psychological support, especially in this period, during which political tensions are at their highest level.
At the same time it provides security measures for their parents who know precisely where their children are, and in particular that they are not alone on the street.
In these days of tension and insecurity, to see more than fifty kids who go to school together and who also eat and play together with a smile on their faces, gives you an immediate feeling of serenity. They laugh and joke with friends, momentarily forgetting the problems beyond the schoolyard.
The after-school lessons take place every afternoon (except Friday) from 2.30 to 4.30 PM. Ten teachers help the students to study, do homework and prepare for exams.
Meet Issa and Ali
Issa is nine years old and loves to study mathematics. When asked what he likes about the program, he says he loves to eat with his schoolmates. They have fun together, they laugh and eat great food, and he does not have to be by himself. At home, there is no one most of the times, so he prefers to stay in school where he gets better concentration and therefore studies more effectively.
Ali is ten years old, he says he enjoys studying very much; his favorite subject is Geography, and he often dreams about being able to visit all of the places that he reads about in his schoolbooks. He also likes the School Support program a lot, since he’s from a large family and when at home it is difficult for him to study and concentrate.
We thank Fondazione San Zeno for their support to the project.
Find out how you can help the children and young people of Bethlehem to grow up in a safe environment.
