A Proud Milestone: 51 Palestinian Students Graduate in Pakistan
A graduation ceremony held at the University of Lahore has marked a proud milestone for Palestinian students who have continued their education in Pakistan throughout the war on Gaza. Of the 51 Palestinian BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) students supported through the Palestinian Scholarship Programme run by Aghosh UK – Alkhidmat Foundation, 38 have now graduated, while the remaining 13 completed a one-year internship and received their certificates on the day.
Dr. Zuhair Mohammad Hamadallah Zaid, Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan, attended the ceremony as Chief Guest, while Prof. Dr. Hafeez-ur-Rehman, President of Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan, joined as Guest of Honour. University of Lahore leadership, senior academicians, and representatives of Aghosh UK – Alkhidmat Foundation were also present, with the Dean of Al-Azhar University, Gaza, joining online to share in the occasion.
In Their Own Words
The ceremony was a moving occasion, with speeches that captured both the weight of what these students have lived through and the hope their education represents.
"People see you as a young graduating dentist, but I see you representative of more than 73,000 martyrs and more than 2 million people who don't have a safe roof on the top. And still they are living, they are striving hard… Gaza is a land of resilience and knowledge."
— Prof. Dr. Hafeez-ur-Rehman, President, Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan
"You are a brigade that you will go back to Gaza to serve our people there. This is your duty… There is many that they are waiting, not just the families that they are looking to you to see you, to hug you, but also the whole of our people waiting for your success, wanting you to come back."
— Dr. Zuhair Mohammad Hamadallah Zaid, Ambassador of Palestine to Pakistan
"Three years ago, we left Gaza carrying only one dream, to complete our education, no matter how difficult the path might be. My journey took me into three different places, shifting from Gaza to Turkey, then to Cairo, and finally to Pakistan… I am deeply grateful to Alkhidmat Foundation for their continuous support, guidance, and generosity, reminding us that compassion knows no borders."
— Ahmed, Palestinian graduate
Watch the Graduation Highlights
You can watch the full graduation ceremony here.
Education at the Heart of Our Gaza Response
For Aghosh UK – Alkhidmat Foundation, this ceremony is more than a graduation photo opportunity — it is proof of why human development sits at the centre of our Gaza response. Since October 2023, alongside the emergency food, water and medical aid we deliver every day, we have prioritised keeping Palestinian students in education, because a generation denied the chance to learn is a generation Gaza cannot afford to lose.
That commitment is already reaching thousands. Through the Palestinian Scholarship Programme and our wider education response, Aghosh UK – Alkhidmat Foundation and our partner, Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan, are currently sponsoring 409 students studying inside Pakistan and 2,100 students inside Gaza — from undergraduates to the medical students who will go on to become the doctors their communities urgently need.
This is not the first time Aghosh UK has stood alongside these students at a milestone moment. Eight months ago, when an earlier cohort of 113 Palestinian medical students graduated, Dr. Adeel Riaz, Chairman of Aghosh UK, travelled to address that graduating class in person — you can watch his address here. It's a commitment Aghosh UK intends to keep showing up for, cohort after cohort, until every Palestinian student who wants to finish their education has the chance to do so.
Part of a Two-Year Response
This milestone sits within a much larger effort. Aghosh UK – Alkhidmat Foundation's two-year Gaza Emergency Response report shows that, since October 2023, we have delivered £21.55 million in aid to the people of Gaza — including over 354,000 hot meals, 65,000 food packs, 2.5 million bottles of water and 394 tonnes of medicines — alongside sustained support for 650 orphans and 2,100 sponsored medical students inside Gaza. Education, alongside food, shelter and healthcare, remains one of the pillars we are determined to protect for as long as this crisis continues.
How You Can Help
Every one of these students, in Pakistan and in Gaza, depends on donors in the UK continuing to give. You can help sponsor the next generation of Gaza's doctors by supporting our Educate a Medical Student in Gaza appeal, or contribute to our wider Gaza Emergency Appeal, which funds food, water, shelter and medical aid alongside our education programmes.
Congratulations to all 51 students on this remarkable achievement. Their determination is a powerful reminder that even amid devastation, education remains one of the most powerful forms of hope Aghosh UK – Alkhidmat Foundation can help protect. May this milestone open the way to a future of service, success and hope for Palestine.