Azzoun, West Bank – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) celebrated Tuesday the official inauguration of Azzoun Basic and Secondary Boys School in the Qalqilia Governorate. Minister of Education and Higher Education Lamis Alami, Deputy Minister of Local Government Mazen Ghneim, and USAID Field Engineer Ahmad Sawalha attended the event at the new school, which opened its doors a few weeks ago to provide modern and comfortable learning facilities for four hundred students. The Governor of Qalqilia Rabeeh El-Khondaqji and Mayor of Azzoun Iyad Khalaf were also present.

USAID contributed $372,000 toward the school’s construction, which was implemented by World Vision. The new school has 10 classrooms serving grades 5 through 9, a computer room, a library, administration staff offices, a multi-purpose hall, a canteen and a playground.

“Education is the key to success. This school makes it possible for the young people of Azzoun to strive for a better future for themselves and for their community,” said Ahmad Sawalha, Field Engineer for USAID.

The school project will help ease overcrowding in other Azzoun-area schools. It created more than 5,000 days of employment for Palestinians.

The Azzoun School construction was done under the USAID-funded JOBS program, which has assisted in strengthening the Palestinian education sector in 17 villages, benefiting over 70,000 Palestinians. The program has contributed to the alleviation of poverty through the provision of short term job opportunities in construction connected to the improvement of basic infrastructure in the West Bank.

Since 1993, USAID has provided more than $1.7 billion in U.S. economic assistance to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza via projects designed to combat poverty, improve health and education, create jobs, and promote democracy and good governance.