Baraka Education Center in Bethlehem


In the modern-day city of Bethlehem, Baraka Education Center reaches out to children surrounded by political unrest with a lack of access to educational resources.

Trapped between warring armies and surrounded by a wall, children in the city of Bethlehem are experiencing intense psychological pressure. The wall that surrounds their city and separates them from Jerusalem is meant to deter suicide bombers, but it essentially incarcerates the city’s residents in a concrete prison. Childhood is lost, with no place to feel safe or express themselves in creativity or play.

Baraka Church in Shepherds Field, Bethlehem runs an Education Center that introduces hope to young people through an after-school program, providing tutoring, help for college applications, assistance with learning disabilities and leadership training so they can become active, responsible citizens… but first, childhood.

“When you take hope from the people, there is nothing they can live for,” said Reverend Danny Awad.  “Our message to the children is, ‘Let’s see how you can enjoy your childhood and play and be creative, and if you make mistakes, that’s okay.’”

Awad’s church attracts children from varying religious backgrounds and provides a safe place for them to be nurtured. The church also provides family counseling, services for mothers with young children and computer training for adults out of work. In addition to the after-school program, they have started a kindergarten and hope to add one grade level each year. The teachers at Baraka Education Center are Christians with Masters degrees who are unemployed because they cannot travel to Jerusalem to get work due to the Wall. 

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