Celebrating 15 Years of Impact and Launching a New Phase of a Successful Partnership in Salfit

Salfit, 2 August 2023

On 2 August, World Vision International celebrates the culmination of 15 years of successful programming in eight villages of South Salfit, which has greatly improved the well-being of approximately 9,000 children since its start in 2008. As the organisation is closing this chapter, it is also celebrating the launch of a new programme in eight different villages in Salfit with the objective to support around 14,000 children, over the next 12 years, to achieve their full potential in life.

“The villages in South Salfit were prioritised due to their vulnerability, grappling with significant challenges such as violence, economic deprivation, and insufficient access to crucial health and education services, that were hindering children from realizing their potential.” said Ashraf Isayed, the Zonal Manager for World Vision in the Centre of the West Bank.

To address these issues, World Vision’s programme promoted a holistic approach to community development, with a strong focus on education, health and agriculture. Regarding education, World Vision rehabilitated 36 schools, created 13 kindergarten classes and supported the training of teachers. As a result of this work, the number of children developmentally on track for their ages increased dramatically from 30% to 95%. 

In health, World Vision supported six health clinics and trained community health workers who supported 1,500 mothers through home visits during pregnancy and postpartum periods. Additionally, hundreds of children found a sense of belonging and personal growth through their participation in youth and adolescents’ clubs, fostering solidarity and nurturing their potential.

World Vision's programmes also enabled families in the villages to diversify their income sources and experience an increase in their financial resources through agricultural development and improved access to water.

“All these achievements were possible thanks to the collaborative effort between World Vision, dedicated partners, and village councils. By working hand in hand with children, parents, and local communities, World Vision's evidence-based programmes have not only addressed pressing challenges but have also enabled community transformation.” said Lauren Taylor, the National Director of World Vision.

Building on these achievements and partnerships, World Vision is launching a new 12-year programme in different villages of Salfit. These new villages have been selected based on the existence of significant vulnerabilities affecting children, such as high dropout rates and poor academic performance, various forms of violence against children, gender-based discrimination, as well as the impact of poverty. By addressing these multifaceted issues, World Vision aims to bring about substantial improvements and create a more secure and nurturing environment for the children in these communities.

“World Vision extends its heartfelt gratitude to all the partners, village councils, and most importantly, the children themselves who have been instrumental in making our programme in Salfit an extraordinary success over the last 15 years. Their unwavering commitment and active involvement have been the driving force behind the positive change witnessed within these communities. With the launch of our new programme, World Vision is showing its commitment to create a brighter, more hopeful future for the most vulnerable children in Salfit” concluded Ashraf Isayed.

Notes for editors

About World Vision International Jerusalem – West Bank – Gaza

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. The organisation started to work in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza in 1975.

Since then, World Vision JWG has developed one of the largest community-based presence of any organisation operating in the West Bank with 91 dedicated staff and a total annual budget of $11 million USD in 2023. In 2022, our programming on education, early childhood development, child protection and child resilience benefited directly more than 233,000 people, including 169,000 children in 150 villages in the West Bank. For more information on our programmes, visit our website.

About our programmes in Salfit

World Vision started to work in South Salfit in 2008 covering eight villages (Yasuf, Iskaka, Farkha, Kafr Aldeek, Bruqeen, Marda, Kherbet Qeis, Zeita Jama’in) with a population of around 20,000 people, including around 9,000 children.

World Vision new programme in Salfit is implemented in eight villages (Qira, Kifel Haris, Haris, Deir Istiya, Deir Ballout, Sarta, Mas-ha, Rafat) with a total population of around 26,000, including around 14,000 children.

 About our Sponsorship Programme

The programmes in Salfit are funded through our sponsorship programme. This programme is a way to support participating children, their families and communities, to build a better future for themselves. Through the sponsorship programme, vulnerable children, their families and their communities are matched with individuals sponsors from all over the world who support them over several years. Because of our community-focused solutions, for every sponsored child, four more children in the community benefit too. 

Our programmes in South Salfit received the support of hundreds of individual donors from the United States of America who directly supported sponsored children, their families, and their communities in these villages over 15 years. The new programmes is currently supported of hundreds of individual donors from Canada.