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Al-Quds Foundation to launch Gaza initiative

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In a bit to help ease the emotional trauma on Gaza’s youth, the Al-Quds Foundation has announced the launch of a new project entitled the Balls for Gaza programme. The project will seek to provide much needed trauma counseling to the children of Palestine, using the medium of sport and physical activity. The new initiative will be officially launched on Sunday the 2nd November, with a special programme set to take place at the Turfhall Sports Complex.

Al-Quds Foundation coordinator Sheikh Isgaak Taliep said the idea behind the project was brought forward to the organization through Boebie Cassiem, a prominent sporting personality in the local Muslim community. Cassiem is a member of the Sport Stepping Stones, who have been involved in the running of the Balls to Poverty Programme in the Western Cape.

“Over the years they’ve had many projects that they’ve run locally as well as internationally. As recent as last year, they received the Queen’s Anniversary Award in England, for the work they have been doing in underprivileged and war torn countries,” he said.

According to Taliep, they were approached by Cassiem with the idea of collaborating on a project specifically aimed at helping those in the conflict hit Gaza strip. He said Cassiem had been particularly shocked by the recent war in the region, which was what prompted him to want to reach out to Gaza’s youth. Apart from giving the children hope through several sporting initiatives, the project will also see a team of social workers travel to the region to provide emotional support and counseling.

The project is expected to launch on Sunday with a special public programme, and Sport Stepping Stones are expected to bring roughly 100 underprivileged children who have been part of the project in the Western Cape, to the event.

“They will be giving us a bit of a glimpse as to what they are doing in this project of theirs,” he said.

Taliep urged the community to attend the launch in their numbers, in order to “share in this unique project”. The launch will take place on Sunday the 2nd November, at the Turfhall Sports Complex. The event starts promptly at 12pm.

For more information contact the Al-Quds Foundation on 021 696 6545. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)


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