A boy holds his school textbooks in a camp schoolyard

School Supplies for Gaza's Children

A bag, books and pens. The smallest donation that visibly restores something.

Of everything we hand out, school kits produce the most immediate change in a child's face. Part of it is the practical fact that you cannot do lessons without something to write on. Most of it is what the bag signifies: that school is a thing that still exists, and that they are still someone who goes.

A full kit costs $30 and is the most concrete gift on this site. There is no ambiguity about what it is or whether it arrived.

This appeal funds kits for children in our learning spaces and catch-up classes, prioritised toward those who have been out of school longest.

What is in a kit

A kit is assembled around what a child in a tent classroom can actually use — durable, light, and not dependent on anything the space does not have:

Exercise books and paper
Pens, pencils, eraser and sharpener
A bag sturdy enough to survive being carried everywhere
Basic geometry and maths materials for older children
A slate or small whiteboard where classes have no fixed surfaces

What different amounts cover

Straight from what we pay for supplies and getting them to a distribution point:

$30 — one child fully equipped
$90 — three children
$300 — ten children, roughly a third of a class
$750 — a full class of around twenty-five children

Bought locally wherever we can

Where stationery is available inside Gaza, we buy it there. It arrives faster, it avoids the crossing entirely, and the money supports traders who are themselves trying to stay afloat.

When local supply runs out, kits are assembled outside and brought in, which is slower and less certain. This is why the same kit does not cost the same amount every month, and why we quote an average rather than pretending to a fixed price.

Why we do not ship donated stationery

People often offer to send physical supplies, and the instinct is a kind one. We ask for money instead, because shipping consumer goods into Gaza costs several times the value of the goods, takes months, and occupies clearance capacity that medicine and food need more.

A $30 donation buys a kit. Thirty dollars of posted stationery buys a kit that may not arrive, plus a shipping bill.

Frequently asked questions

Can I send supplies instead of money?

Please don't. Shipping stationery into Gaza costs more than the items are worth, takes months, and competes for crossing capacity with medical and food consignments. A cash donation buys the same kit locally, faster, and supports local traders while doing it.

Who decides which children get kits?

The teachers and coordinators running each learning space, who know which children are attending and which have been out of school longest. Kits go first to children starting catch-up classes, since arriving with nothing to write with is a common reason a child does not come back a second time.

Can I give this as a gift in someone's name?

Yes. Note the dedication when you donate and we will record it on the receipt. School kits are a common choice for gifts in a child's name — a birthday or a new baby — because the amount maps to something specific.