Makeshift School Classes in the Tent Camps
Project Summary
Every school in Gaza has been damaged, destroyed, or pushed out of operation, and an entire generation of students has been kept out of the classroom since the war began. GPAA is supporting the creation of makeshift schools across the strip — simple, structured learning spaces inside the tent camps — to give displaced children a place to study, a daily routine, and a credible reason to believe in their own futures.
Why this matters
Improvised classrooms cannot replace the school system Gaza has lost. But they can do several important things in the meantime:
- Continuity of education. A safe, structured place to learn keeps students from falling further behind during a period when no formal schooling is available.
- Emotional support. School provides children who have lived through trauma with a sense of normalcy, structure, and the company of peers — all critical to their ability to recover.
- Core skills. Reading, writing, and arithmetic continue to be taught, so that students do not lose the foundation they will need when full schooling resumes.
- Hope. Access to education tells children that their futures still matter — that someone is investing in them, and that the years ahead are still theirs to shape.
- Community. The makeshift school becomes a small social center, connecting children and families to one another and creating a network of support during a very hard time.
- A foundation for reconstruction. The Gaza of the future will be rebuilt by the children of today. Keeping their education going now is an investment in everything that follows.
Footage from the makeshift schools
Funding
Between October 2024 and February 2026, GPAA funded three education projects across Gaza for a total of $75,690. These covered a multi-cycle education program in Deir Al-Balah ($53,126), an educational point in Gaza City ($13,564), and a school at a Gaza City shelter ($9,000).