In PALESTINE

The beauty of Palestinians and their love for life and family is often written in poetry and folklore, and sung lyrically in music. The most beautiful of Palestine is the women and their embodiment of resilience, strength, and perseverance. These girls, regardless of age, are more than caregivers in their family units. They are compassionate, intelligent, motivated for the future of Palestine. 

Similar to girls all over the world, they have hopes for their futures and strive to live out personal aspirations. Oftentimes, such goals get cut short due to a multitude of unfortunate events. 

My grandmothers love for Palestine and her people was in her core and she lived her love by inspiring not only her four daughters to pursue higher levels of education, but also supporting many women in her community quietly and with purposeful intention.

Although my grandmother, Basima is not here to share her story her legacy lives on in the acts of kindness that was a daily practice in her life. She would visit someone in need and her compassionate heart would continue to visit, to pray for, and to feed those folks long after the swarm of visitors had subsided. She was loved by all, a kind proud woman, lifting up young women and aiding older women. She bridged and was a balance of westernized education and progression with Islamic values and Palestinian heritage. Her generational connections and ability to understand young and old made her a safe, constant, and quiet support for many Palestinian women. 

The ultimate goal of The Basima Foundation is to continue to legacy of Basima Hammad Rasheed by offering recipients the opportunity to continue their education in pursuit of all their endeavors and continue to build and balance educational wealth with a Palestinian voice. 

Basima, herself was denied a college experience due to familial expectations of marriage and therefore dedicated her life to encouraging and guiding her children. She supported countless Palestinian women in their educational dreams. Most importantly, the pursuit of an education was not an abandonment of tradition. 

This year, The Basima Foundation was able to support two graduates from the Arts Department and from the Science Department at Deir Debwan Girls High School. Each recipient of the high school scholarship received a full years tuition. We are thrilled to support and watch these graduates develop into successful students as they pursue  their university education. 

It is with great pride and joy that we announce the First Annual Scholarship for the Basima Foundation.

We are proud to honor Basima's passion not just in Palestine, but also here in Las Vegas, Nevada in partnership with the UNLV Epsilon Alpha Sigma Sorority. As a sorority that shares our values of empowering women through education and mentorship, we are honored to work together in creating a brighter future for young women.

We are excited to share that we will be offering a $1,000 scholarship annually to one outstanding recipient. We encourage all eligible young women to seize this opportunity and showcase their dedication to their studies, commitment to their community, and passion for empowering others.

This scholarship will provide the recipient with financial support and mentorship as they embark on their journey through higher education. We hope that this scholarship will not only lighten the financial burden but also inspire and encourage the recipient to continue breaking barriers and making a positive impact on the world, just as Basima did with her unwavering support for Palestinian women.

In conclusion, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported the Basima Foundation's mission, and we look forward to continuing our work in empowering the next generation of female leaders. We are confident that, together, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of these young women and the communities they will go on to serve.

Pictured from left to right: Jannah Khalaf, Fahima Khalaf, Loren AlKhazouz, and Nadia Harrara Epsilon Alpha Sigma President.