On Thursday, July 24, 2025, the Caja Navarra Foundation and Salam Gaza Association have joined forces to create the project “Educational Support for Orphans at the Al-Amal School in GAZA.” It will be carried out in Gaza, specifically in the Al-Rimal neighborhood in the northern area near the GAZA Central Hospital, AL-Shifa.
The Al-Amal Institute for Orphans will receive a contribution of €41,000 to support 240 orphaned girls and boys aged 6 to 12, who will receive “active learning, emotional support, and participatory activities” during the 2025 and 2026 school years.
The Salam Gaza association, legally registered in Navarra, was founded by highly talented individuals of different nationalities, including Palestinians from Gaza, with extensive experience in human health sector, project management, and strategic focus, as well as direct connections (family and professional) to the reality on the ground. This allows for a deep understanding of local needs, structures, and sociocultural dynamics. Furthermore, both on the Board and in the General Assembly, Salam Gaza has volunteers with different complementary profiles to carry out the association’s short- and long-term plans.
Ola Arafat Arafat, president of the Salam Gaza association, thanked the Caja Navarra Foundation for its support and described the “deeply dramatic” situation currently unfolding in Gaza. She also pointed out that “many children are rescued after days spent in the rubble, which causes them trauma.” For this reason, the project addresses not only educational needs, but also emotional and social ones..
Hesham Salman, one of the founders of Salam Gaza, treasurer, and head of International Relations, stated that “the children have lost their loved ones, their stability, their homes, and their routines,” He emphasized that at Salam Gaza, “we are aware of the enormous difficulty, in all aspects, involved in implementing this project on the ground, and that this initiative will allow these orphans to recover part of their childhood and build tools for their future.” The planned activities seek to heal through art, movement, and emotional expression, offering a safe space for children.
Picture of the Al-Amal School for Orphans in GAZA
Txemi Pérez, a member of the Salam Gaza association, praised “the solidarity that the people of Navarre have shown with Gaza at all times.” “The demonstrations calling for Israel to stop bombing Gaza have not ceased. But from there, they are asking for water, food, and medicine to survive,“ he explained, defining the NGO as a ”bridge of solidarity between Navarre and Gaza“ because it ”has first-hand knowledge of the situation, works with several local NGOs within the Strip, and has the support of the entire parliamentary spectrum in Navarra.”
José Ángel Andrés, president of the Caja Navarra Foundation, offered his own reflection: “Where missiles destroy, pencils build.” He presented the collaboration agreement to launch the project, which will be carried out in Gaza starting in October 2025. “At the Caja Navarra Foundation, we do not want to forget our commitment in the face of genocide. We want to be flexible with change, faithful to our principles, and firm in the face of injustice,” Andrés said.
