A 2025 update from Rania Maayeh, Head of School, Ramallah Friends School

Despite our challenges, we remain committed to providing quality education and are still operating in person. The situation has become increasingly difficult due to intensified military checkpoints and roadblocks, making movement extremely challenging for our school community. What used to take an hour at a checkpoint can now take up to four hours; sometimes, staff members are stranded for six hours. To support them, we have arranged temporary accommodations at the school when returning home is impossible.

Adding to our challenges, we recently received a termination order for our ASHA (USAID) Project, which has dealt a significant blow to our school.....[CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]

A 2025 update from Rania Maayeh, Head of School, Ramallah Friends School

Dear BFM: Thank you so much for your email and for checking in. You are right—I haven’t sent out a newsletter since December, but I have been sharing updates with those who have reached out. I truly appreciate your continued support and concern.

Despite our challenges, we remain committed to providing quality education and are still operating in person. The situation has become increasingly difficult due to intensified military checkpoints and roadblocks, making movement extremely challenging for our school community. What used to take an hour at a checkpoint can now take up to four hours; sometimes, staff members are stranded for six hours. To support them, we have arranged temporary accommodations at the school when returning home is impossible.

Adding to our challenges, we recently received a termination order for our ASHA (USAID) Project, which has dealt a significant blow to our school. This project was meant to provide:

• An indoor multipurpose hall,
• A rainwater cistern to help address water scarcity, and
• Outdoor bathrooms to improve facilities.

Now, construction is at a standstill, leaving us with an excavated site that we had to close for safety reasons. This means our students lack the space they desperately need and the long-term benefits the project was meant to bring.

In response, we have launched a fundraising campaign, which I am sharing with you. We need to raise one million dollars to complete this critical project, and I hope you can help us spread the word and amplify our efforts.

On another note, our financial situation remains complicated. As we prepare for the next school year, we had to make the difficult decision not to increase tuition, recognizing the economic hardships families are already facing. The termination of USAID funding has only worsened matters, leaving us to operate on an exceptionally tight budget next year.

We have also opened financial aid applications, and so far, we have received 49 applications from families in need. No matter how challenging things become, we remain committed to our students and shaping a future generation that can bring about change.

Our IB students are currently sitting for their mock exams, with their official exams beginning in late April. With several of them crossing military checkpoints daily, we are looking into providing temporary accommodations to ensure that delays at checkpoints do not prevent them from sitting for their exams and earning their diplomas.

Please keep us in your prayers during these trying times. Your support and prayers mean the world to us.

Special thanks to the Bethesda meeting for their continued support.

With gratitude and in Peace,

Rania

Head of School, Ramallah Friends School