KinderUSA awarded Grant for The Cooperative Society for Saving and Lending

The Foundation is pleased to award a grant to KinderUSA for the Cooperative Society for Saving and Lending.  KinderUSA is the leading American Muslim Organization focused on the health and wellbeing of Palestinian children. Founded in 2002 by American physicians and humanitarian relief workers to alleviate the suffering of children and their families in Palestine and beyond, regardless of ethnicity or religious beliefs.

The Cooperative Society for Saving and Lending, provides the majority of the children enrolled with the only healthy meal they may eat all day through the Healthy Meals Initiative. KinderUSA is seeking grants to fund the 10th distribution of food to Kindergarten-aged students who suffer from anemia, malnutrition, and fatigue, children who have only known war and poverty in their lifetime.

The program incorporates the Women’s Cooperative which prepares the meals, focusing on empowering female head-of-households who find themselves the sole providers due to devastating circumstances. Some of these women have been living in dire conditions, and KinderUSA assists them through training in their cooperatives and ultimately finding employment at local factories and bakeries. This last stage, they had 30 women that are now successfully working, finally able to provide an income to their family. The project strives to accomplish 4 key items: 1. Lessen the psychological stress and economic burden on children and families in the poor and marginalized areas by empowering women through training and seminars while promoting education and health for children. 2. The project will alleviate the suffering of children in 12 kindergartens by providing  hot meals and fresh fruits and vegetables that contain the needed sustenance for elements to build the bodies of children and the prevention of anemia and malnutrition diseases. 3. Raise awareness for mothers of targeted children in kindergartens on dealing with proper nutrition and preparation. 4. Improve the economic situation for women and their families, who are employed in their cooperatives producing pastries, improving their social role by increasing practical experience for employment beyond this project. The project addresses critical, nutritional needs of children. No other project exists in Gaza that mirrors KinderUSA work.