On the 15th of May every year, Palestinen American Comunity Center of Chicago, in cooperation with Uinted Holy Land Fund, put an event to commemorate the “NAKBA” – The Forced Exodus- of the Palestnian People for their homeland. Because of the Convid Pandamic we have not done so for the last 2 years. This year Ramadan Eidul Fitr Fall too close to the occasion. Instead, we are holding Iftar On Sunday April 24th, 2022 at 7:30 PM. Limited to special guests, Friends and supporters to commemorate and rais funds for the orphans in refugee camps in Pleastine. It will be held at P. A. C. C. Hall on 6000 w 79th st. Burbank, IL. 60459. You and your spouse are cordially invited to this “Iftar”. You have the chance to chat with the US congressman Jesus (Chuy) Garcia of the 4th District. They will breakfast with us. Your Kind reply and attindance are greatly appreciated.
We foundly look forward to seeing you, And Ramadan Mubarak وكل عام وأنتم بخير
Your Hosts
Dr. Qaseem Blan, Muwaffaq Ijbara,
Mohammed shaker, Jihad Modalala, Nader Alghoul, Baheej Elasmar, Majeda Owaida, Fadwa Naji, Mahmoud Zahra, Ali Naji, Riyad Elagha, Maryam Alrazzaq, Aref Musa, Musa Musa, Abdelghafer Alarouri, and Mohammed Aburmishan
Thank you for 53 years of support. With your help, our mission goes on
To Palestinians, Education is the Passport to Freedom
UHLF 53rd annual fund
Dear UHLF Supporters,
I want to take this opportunity to personally thank you for supporting our beloved organization, the United Holy Land
Fund. I want to welcome our new supporters and our dedicated donors who showed us how to build our organization
to a higher standard in the last few years. Your donations continue to provide our students and orphans in Palestine
with a better life and more opportunity.
We are excited to let you know that in the past 3-years, with your generous donations, we were able to provide our
needy people with $4.5-5 million that supported our orphans and students at all Universities in Gaza and the West
Bank in Palestine.
UHLF will continue to expand and grow as long as our people in Palestine need us. In my last visit this summer to
many of the Universities and the students benefiting from our Scholarship, I learned firsthand that the demand is still
great. That is why I proposed to the Board of Directors that we increase the number of scholarships this year to at
least 1,000 so we can meet the urgent demand of our needy people. Therefore, I set our goal for the second fundraising
activity to reach and hopefully exceed $750,000.
I have complete faith that this goal will be reached before the end of this year. However, from my long experience
with UHLF, I know that the most notable factor in this organization is YOU, our dedicated supporters. I hope we will
continue to earn your trust, support, and loyalty, and I hope you will help us stay on our mission by providing the
necessary support to our people in Palestine.
Respectfully Yours,
Dr. Quaseem Blan
President, UHLF
STATS & FACTS
The grant offers $1,000/year (about $500 per semester) towards tuition.
The program now covers 800 sponsored students in all the
Palestinian Universities.
The number of new students accepted in the program is equal to the number
of graduating from each university.
The grant is awarded to students enrolled in Fall and Spring semesters only.
The grant recipients are selected by a specialized UHLF committee.
Funds are transferred directly to the students’ prospective university on
behalf of the students.
ELIGIBILITY
Enrollment in an accredited 4-year institution.
Accumulative (GPA) of (B) or better once enrolled in college.
Proper personal conduct in and out of school is an essential factor.
Eligible students from UHLF supported orphanage societies have a
priority.
They have proven economic need.
Completion of UHLF application with all needed supporting
documents.
ACHIEVEMENTS
More than 2000 students graduated in the last seven years.
More than $2,000,000 was transferred through this program.
More than 90% of the donations are from the American Palestinian
Communities.
More than 35% of the students are needy orphans.
More than 67% of the students are females.
More than 25% of the graduates continue to pursue post
Graduate degrees.
More than 60% find jobs locally and /or in the surrounding countries.
LOOKING AHEAD
Upon graduation and gainful employment, sponsored students
are expected to help and assist eligible students in need as
they once were.
Sponsored students might be asked to participate in UHLF
efforts to promote, explain and expand the program.
Sponsored students are expected to perform community
services, such as grammar or high school tutoring, volunteer
at hospitals, senior homes, or other local aid societies.
We hope the day comes when this program is self-sufficient,
where the alumni’s contributions will help fund the needs of
other disadvantaged students.
United Holy Land Fund
Event took place on 10/10/2021
Address:
12700 S Wolf Rd.
Palos Park, IL. 60464
A World Bank report cited as far back as in 2003 that the number of poor in Palestine had tripled in just three years. Sixty per cent of those residing in the West Bank and Gaza were identified as living ‘under the poverty line’. Despite a call to action, poverty rates have not declined. The staggering increase in recorded poverty has been blamed on a number of factors, including a high unemployment rate, economic decline, conflict and the isolation of the Palestinian people. A donation to United Holy Land Fund will help us deliver fresh Udhiya meat to the poor during Eid-al-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha.
About the Educational Scholarship Grant (ESG) Program
PLC is a children sponsorship program that caters to the distressed orphans and disadvantaged children in Palestine. The sponsorships are administered through established, registered, reputable, and well recognized charitable institutions in the Palestine. Some examples of such entities are:
Since 2014, this program caters to 500 children. Sponsorship is only $600 per year ($1.65 a day) per child or orphan. The funds distributed to the children through these institutions in increments of $150 per quarter.
PLC sponsorship is only a helping hand –for most it is the only one– to help provide food, clothing, and school supplies these children desperately need to improve their lives. Unfortunately, the continued Israeli military occupation causes an increase in the numbers of these unfortunate children almost daily. However, thanks to the fortitude of this program, these children and orphans in Palestine are given a sliver of hope and that someone out there cares about them.
Childhood is a fundamental stage that defines the future transition of children into adulthood. As such, children should be provided with the needed care and education to enhance their mental, psychological and social development. Much of this knowledge development is gained through play.
In Palestine, there are limited areas for safe outdoor playing for children to spend their energy, interact with each other and be creative through play. Most Palestinian children spend their spare time playing in the streets, amongst passing vehicles, exposing themselves and others to high risk and danger of accidents and injuries. On the other hand, children who are restricted from playing outside become passive and unsociable, spending hours in non-interactive activities, such as watching TV or playing digital games, which are equally associated with health hazards including obesity, addiction, laziness, slower development, etc.
Outdoor playgrounds offer families and their children safe public spaces to meet, socialize and spend quality time. Moreover, public spaces require community ownership and involvement to prosper and this can contribute positively to enriching the local environment.
As a means to address this dire need, WA with the Bank of Palestine and the Basem and Muna Hishmeh Foundation launched and financed “Al-Bayyara project” since 2013 to date to establish children ‘s playgrounds in urban and rural neighborhoods to serve as recreational communal spaces for children and their families. So far, 19 playgrounds have been established and 9 are under construction, established in partnership with local municipalities/village councils.
The successful implementation of these playgrounds and their impact on the children, their families (specifically their mothers) and the community at large, motivated WA and its partners to seek additional funding to scale up their efforts to implement 10 new playgrounds annually. WA hopes that this simple intervention will be replicated at the national level in urban neighborhoods, towns, and villages, and championed by other development organizations to restore to Palestinian children their right to play safely.
“Al-Bayyara” is the Arabic word for the orange orchard. In the late nineteenth century, historical Palestine witnessed a surge in citrus cultivation and orchards dominated the landscape from the north to the south. After 1948, orange orchards became a symbol of Palestinian history and identity, revered with nostalgia by the old and young alike. The playgrounds will be named “Al-Bayyara” to capture the image and value that these orchards hold in the Palestinian consciousness, as the playgrounds become the focal points in their communities.
Playground games are what children strive for; for many, it is their favorite time of the day. It is well recognized that children develop much of their learning, cognitive and social skills through play and these are carried forward into their adulthood. Moreover, research shows that playgrounds are amongst the most important environments for children outside their home that enhances their imagination and creativity. Therefore, the importance of physical activity for children is widely recognized and has been the subject of public policy statements in many countries.
Furthermore, there is a general consensus that physical activity reduces the risk of psychological problems in children, fosters their self-esteem, self-care skills, encourages physical mastery and self-development, and stimulates problem-solving skills. Moreover, playgrounds provide a means to communicate with other children and adults leading to personality development and sense of connection.
In conclusion, the long-term impact of playgrounds on children is immense in terms of overall development, health, attitude, communication, interaction, and behavior. Equally, creating safe environments for children will also benefit the families and their children and will promote a sense of ownership that can help in preserving these playgrounds as a focal point for the local community.
To establish community-based outdoor recreational playgrounds that are safe for children to play and can contribute to their physical, social and cognitive development.
Marginalized urban and rural neighborhoods in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip.
Al-Bayyara playgrounds are designed to meet the needs of children and their families, especially their mothers. They are designed to be safe, robust, can accommodate different age groups and maximize the use of the available spaces. Al-Bayyara utilizes simple designs and recycled materials were possible to minimize operational and maintenance cost.
A minimum area of 1000m2 is considered suitable for the plot of land to be developed into a playground so as to accommodate the following zoned activities:
In addition, Al-Bayyara site selection and implementation shall meet the following fundamental additional criteria:
For the successful selection, implementation and future sustainability of Al-Bayyara, the project team engages directly with the municipality/village council as partners in the whole process to promote ownership and interest in operating and maintaining the playground once completed. The municipality/village council is expected to: