Healing - School of Joy

FHL exclusively funds the School of Joy, offering children with educational, emotional and behavioural disabilities a chance to fulfil their potential in a safe and informed environment.

In addition to specialised therapy and a free education in a small classroom setting, the school also provides free transportation to/from school for its pupils, a healthy breakfast and general health checks.

With no school place, these children would have no education and often lack hope for the future. Having a child with a disability sadly still carries a stigma in parts of the Holy Land and children can be abandoned or shut away at home.

Our school of Joy students come from all religious backgrounds and run with a Christian ethos. Some are simply behind in their education due to trauma or undiagnosed problems with their vision or hearing. Others have conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, severe dyslexia or ADHD.

The teaching staff help these special children discover their talents and teach them skills that will help them support themselves. Many now have fulfilling careers - from olive wood carving to taxi driving, construction, floristry and hairdressing - futures that nobody imagined were possible before School of Joy welcomed them in.

This vital school receives no state funding, and the majority of the children attending come from families who are too poor to pay fees.

Friends of the Holy Land has funded School of Joy since 2009. Our support has enabled the school to double the number of classes, introduce better facilities, supply school lunches, trips and activities, and invest in well-qualified teaching staff.

The school teaches around 90 children and employs 10 teachers. All children are welcomed, whether for the short-term or the long-term.