They say that necessity is the mother of innovation – and the necessity to get a good education is what prompted Palestinian student Jihad from Shujaiya to devise a way to help other students continue their education. He was driven by the belief that acquiring knowledge, despite the challenges and difficult circumstances, is one of the most valuable facets of the industry of hope.

Jihad came up with the idea in 2007 after personally struggling to pay his tuition and attend university, due to the difficult political and economic conditions of his country. When he successfully completed his university education, Jihad realized that he had an opportunity to contribute to alleviating the suffering of other students in need, especially those who were exceptionally high achieving. That’s when ‘Student to Student’ was launched, a project dedicated to helping underprivileged students in Palestine continue their education by providing them with financial support to cover tuition. In return, all students receiving funding are obliged to tutor students who need educational support in lower grades.

‘Student to Student’ grew into the ‘Palestinian Initiative for Supporting Students’, a resounding success, with a scholarship fund set up that has helped hundreds of students attain a university education.

Jihad, the founder and executive director, explains that the goal behind the initiative is not only to help Palestinian students attain a university degree, but also to teach people the value of giving, and to encourage them to engage in volunteering to serve their communities.

With regard to the financing, Jihad said that the project started with a limited scale, relying mostly on individual donations, before it expanded over time, with increasing numbers of individual and private sector donors.

To date, more than 2,400 young students have benefited directly from this initiative. More than half of these students are young women, who show unrelenting determination and volunteer to tutor younger students with impressive results.

According to Jihad, the ‘Palestinian Initiative for Supporting Students’ has succeeded in building a positive student identity – psychologically, intellectually and humanely. The beneficiaries of the initiative often become more responsible, have more self-confidence and are more aware of the importance of helping others.

The project has grown from tens, to hundreds, to thousands of students. It is driven mainly by the goal of spreading hope in a society that cherishes education and considers it the first step toward freedom.