Al Amal Program Brings Hope and Mental Health Support to Girls in Gaza

Free to Run and Palestine Sports for Life launch initiative to strengthen resilience among adolescent girls and young women

Gaza, October 2025 – Amid ongoing conflict and displacement in Gaza, a new initiative is offering girls a lifeline of hope. In April 2025, Free to Run, in partnership with Palestine Sports for Life (PS4L), launched the Al Amal program — “Al Amal” meaning “hope” in Arabic — to provide mental health and psychosocial support for adolescent girls and young women across Gaza.

The program aims to help participants build resilience, cope with trauma, and reclaim a sense of stability through structured physical and mental health activities. Since its launch, Al Amal has reached more than 300 girls and young women, providing a safe space where they can express themselves, process their emotions, and connect with others who share similar experiences.

“Yoga helped me feel like I have a space just for me, even if everything around me feels unstable,” said Alaa, a participant from Khan Younis. “After every session, I felt lighter.”

Operating in Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, and Gaza City, the program primarily serves communities where many girls live in temporary tents following repeated displacement. Sessions are held twice a week for 60 to 90 minutes, blending movement-based activities such as yoga and strength training with mental health practices focused on stress management, anxiety reduction, and self-regulation techniques.

The Al Amal program draws inspiration from Free to Run’s Omid Program in Afghanistan, which has supported young women living under restrictive conditions since 2021. By adapting these trauma-informed approaches to Gaza’s context, Al Amal addresses critical gaps in mental health services for adolescent girls — a group that often faces stigma, limited mobility, and few safe outlets for emotional expression.

Physical activity forms the core of the program’s healing process. It not only releases serotonin and endorphins that reduce stress and anxiety but also fosters psychosomatic resilience, self-confidence, and emotional well-being through the challenge of movement and group participation.

Despite ongoing insecurity, displacement, and limited internet access, the program continues whenever conditions allow. Families have reported remarkable improvements in the emotional health of participants. One mother shared that her daughter, who had stopped speaking due to trauma, began interacting again after attending several sessions.

Free to Run and Palestine Sports for Life reaffirm their commitment to maintaining and adapting the Al Amal program, ensuring that girls and young women in Gaza continue to have access to safe spaces and essential psychosocial support — even amid the challenges of conflict.