The Singaporean non-profit social enterprise, Hush TeaBar, celebrated its 10th anniversary on 26 October 2024 with a special fundraising event for the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative, in collaboration with the Singaporean crowdfunding charity, Ray of Hope, and Opening Universities for Refugees (OUR), an independent global initiative founded in Singapore.
The Palestinian Scholarship Initiative (PSI) aims to raise SGD $400,000 to sponsor at least two Palestinian students each year, covering the costs of their tertiary education in Singapore comprehensively – from tuition fees, accommodation, application fees, and living expenses.
The initiative is a 100% volunteer-based initiative, spearheaded by a group of Singaporeans who believe in the power of education to rebuild lives and shape a better tomorrow.
The Scholarship Administration Committee is co-chaired by:
- Professor Yaacob Ibrahim, former Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, and presently Director of the Community Leadership and Social Innovation Center at Singapore Institute of Technology (SiT)
- Anthea Ong, entrepreneur, social advocate, former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP), and founder of Hush TeaBar.
The committee members include:
- Dr Ang Swee Chai, co-founder of Medical Aid for Palestinians, orthopaedic surgeon, and author of From Beirut to Jerusalem: A Woman Surgeon with the Palestinians.
- Dr Khaled Dawas, a British-Palestinian surgeon and Honorary Associate Professor at University College London (UCL)
- Dr Gül İnanç, founder of global initiative, Opening Universities for Refugees (OUR) and diplomatic historian
- Dr Alicia Altorfer-Ong, Deputy General Manager of Ray of Hope.
Anthea Ong, one of the co-chairs of the initiative, is among 64 signatories in the Letter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan for Singapore to recognize Palestinian Statehood, put forward by the local advocacy group Lepak Conversations on 8 October 2024.
2 ex-PAP MPs, 5 ex-NMPs and Academics urge Singapore to recognise the State of Palestine
As there has been no response from the Minister to date, an online petition was launched on 23 October for Singaporeans to support the recognition of the State of Palestine, which garnered over 9,000 signatures.
You can access the petition through this link: https://www.change.org/p/join-these-singaporeans-in-asking-singapore-to-recognise-the-state-of-palestine?lang=en-GB
In the press release, the committee stated:
“As Palestine faces unimaginable devastation and Palestinian educational opportunities dwindle under occupation, we stand with a vision for the future.
With universities in Palestine damaged or destroyed and higher education across Palestine under siege, countless bright minds are left with limited access to learning.
We, a group of Singaporean citizens, believe in the power of education to rebuild lives and shape a better tomorrow. By supporting the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative, you can help provide life-changing opportunities for Palestinian students to pursue full tertiary education in Singapore.”
Co-chair of the Scholarship Admission Committee, former Minister for Communications and Information Professor Yaacob Ibrahim stated:
“We believe in the transformative power of education, especially in times of hardship. By supporting the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative, we are not only offering young Palestinian students the opportunity to rebuild their lives but also creating a bridge between Singapore and Palestine, fostering mutual understanding and exchange. These scholarships provide hope and open doors to a brighter future for students who have faced unimaginable challenges due to conflict and occupation. Our hope is that, through education, these students will gain the tools and skills to contribute not only to their own communities but to the global community at large. Together, we can shape a future where learning thrives despite adversity, and where support between nations and people pave the way for a more connected, compassionate world.”
Palestinian student Hanan Sahmoud said of her studies in Singapore:
“Singapore was an eye-opening experience. It provided me with renewed hope for the future and a deep trust in humanity’s ability to overcome challenges.”
According to the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative, the committee has been in fruitful discussion with several local universities for their participation in this initiative, and have also updated the relevant ministries of this initiative including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Home Affairs.
Moreover, they have ongoing discussions and consultations with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and related agencies, top-ranked universities in Palestine, groups such as Arab Network@Singapore, as well as engagements with our informal networks to reach out to qualifying Palestinian refugees and youths.
Last year, Hush TeaBar conducted a similar private event to support the Ukrainian Society for the Deaf who help those affected by the war in Ukraine.
Please take a moment to donate and help provide life-changing opportunities for Palestinian students to pursue full tertiary education in Singapore:
https://events.rayofhope.sg/events/palestinian-scholarship-initiative/
Education under attack in Palestine by the Israeli occupation
Gaza faces what UN experts call “scholasticide” due to Israel’s pattern of attacks, bombings, and airstrikes on schools, universities, teachers and students – which point to the systemic destruction of the Palestinian education system. By April 2024, more than 80% of schools in Gaza were damaged or destroyed. Attacks on schools during conflict violates international law, and is identified by the UN Security Council as war crimes.
@sgviralvids Yale-NUS students in Singapore show solidarity with Palestine during their Graduation!
Palestine has one of the highest literacy rates in the world (99%), and education is compulsory and free for all children between the ages of six and fifteen. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) is responsible for the education system in the West Bank, while Hamas controls the education system in Gaza. According to a report by the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Palestine has implemented policies aimed at providing free education and increasing access to scholarships and financial aid to their students – despite limited resources, banning of books and educational materials, frequent school closures, and constant violence enacted on students and the Palestinian education system by the Israeli occupation.
Systemic Destruction of Higher Education Institutions and Killing of Students in Gaza
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education, since 7 October 2023, Israel’s genocidal military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 10,490 school and university students, and 16,700 more have been injured. More than 500 schoolteachers and university educators have also been killed. Additionally, the Palestinian Minister of Education reported that more than 80 percent of the buildings housing higher education institutions have been destroyed by the Israeli military.
Since 7 October 2023, all 12 universities in Gaza have been either been damaged or destroyed in what human rights groups have called an “ongoing crime of genocide“. By May 2024, At least 95 university professors have been killed, of whom 68 held professor’s degrees, according to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.
The universities that have been targeted and destroyed, or are used currently as shelters for displaced people, include: The Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Israa University, Al-Qudsa Open University, Al-Azhar University, Palestine Technical College, University College of Applied Sciences, the University of Palestine, Al-Aqsa University, Gaza University, Hassan II University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and Dar-al-Kalima University.
The Occupation Impedes Palestinians’ Right to Education
Throughout Israel’s military occupation of Palestine, Israel has impeded the right to education for Palestinian students. Children, youth, and parents face violence and obstacles on the way to school, and students are denied equal opportunities to education. UNICEF, Save the Children, and Education Cluster reported that between 2019 and 2022, over 50,000 Palestinian children have been affected by education-related incidents in the West Bank. These incidents range from being detained and harassed on their way to school, to tear gas being fired at schools by the Israeli military occupation. Schools in the West Bank and Gaza have constantly been under threat of demolition by the Israeli authorities, who refuse to give them the necessary building permits to prevent it.
Scholarship Initiatives for Palestinians offered by International Governments
Internationally, an increasing number of countries have launched fully paid scholarship programmes for Palestinian students. In September, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced 200 scholarships for Palestinians to study medicine in Cuba.
@afhamid786 Palestinian Medical Students greeted by Pakistani people when they arrived to study in University Of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. #palestine #palestine🇵🇸 #palestineفلسطين #palestinetiktok #palestinelivesmatter #palestinian #palestinianlivesmatter #palestinians #pakistan #pakistani #pakistantiktok #pakistani_tik_tok #palestinianstudents #lahorepakistan #lahoreuniversity #universityoflahore
This July, Pakistan funded 45 medical students from Palestine to complete their studies in the country, under a full scholarship initiative. The Irish government announced it would be funding 25 fully-paid scholarships for Palestinian students for the 2025-2026 academic year. In November 2023, the Malaysian Minister for Higher Education Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced that tuition fees were waived for over 600 Palestinian students at public universities.
To date, Singapore has trained over 750 Palestinian officials from the Palestinian Authority (a governing body controlled by Fatah, which administers the West Bank), as part of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), established in 1992. The SCP provides technical assistance and human resource development to developing countries.
More from Wake Up Singapore:-
2 ex-PAP MPs, 5 ex-NMPs and Academics urge Singapore to recognise the State of Palestine
Singaporeans who visited Al-Aqsa Mosque in June 2024 share how they were treated by IDF soldiers
‘Palestine, We See You’ – Yale-NUS Students show solidarity with Palestine during convocation
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