PALESTINIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION Non-profit, community-based organization formed to uplift Palestinian American Women and support Palestinian communities through scholarships, community services, and cultural engagement since 1984 |
PAWA Purpose and Mission
Empower Palestinian American Women: The organization creates spaces for connection, education, leadership, cultural preservation, and social support for Palestinian American women and their families. Raise Funds for Scholarships: PAWA commonly hosts fundraising events (like galas and community hikes) to support scholarship programs that help students pursue higher education in the United States. Support Palestinian Communities: Funds raised often go beyond scholarships to help with community outreach, cultural programs, and humanitarian relief for Palestinians in the diaspora as well as in the West Bank, Gaza, and refugee camps. |
Scholarship Initiatives
One of the central pillars of PAWA’s work is raising and awarding scholarships to deserving students of Palestinian descent. These scholarships are typically funded through:
These programs help students afford college and university costs in the U.S. and encourage leadership, academic excellence, and active community involvement. |
Community Support and Cultural Preservation
In addition to scholarships, PAWA and similar Palestinian American women’s organizations aim to:
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Impact Beyond the USA
While many PAWA chapters focus on the Palestinian American community and educational support, they also contribute to humanitarian needs back in Palestine such as:
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get involved
become a Member Scholarship Foundation in Palestine: Scholarships awarded to students in Palestine cover tuition fees for those in financial need and have a strong scholastic record. We have been sponsoring 27 students in 6 different universities in Palestine and looking forward to expanding and sponsoring more students in the near future. Olive Oil Initiative: Olive Tree, symbolic of Palestinian attachment to the land and a main source of income for many, have been systematically under attack by Israeli settlers. Our initiative empowers farmers to sustain their livelihoods and cultures by providing avenues for them to sell their harvest to our local community. Hike4Palestine: H4P is one of our successful programs that has now branched out to other parts of California. Family friendly and youth-oriented, Hike4Palestine-OC & Hike4Palestine-SD, empowers our community to stay connected to our roots, heal through difficult times, and stay healthy. Our hikes welcome community members of all backgrounds. Educational Workshops: Given by professionals in the field providing community members tools for personal and professional growth. Notably in 2024, we organized “Violence Against Women” led by Nadia Abou-Seda and “Third World Women Resist” led by Professor Amanda Batarseh - UCSD. Cultural Programs: We aim to celebrate Palestinian culture and to conserve Palestine’s heritage, history and national culture with programs highlighting folkloric dance and song, film screenings and social programs. Rania Shammas has been leading our Dabkeh Youth Group and has performed amazingly in several PAWA and PAWA-sponsored events. Last but not least, Hiam Kanafani has been leading PAWA’s Book Club, giving life to our stories. | VolunteerAre you committed to social justice and want to find ways to support a
community based organization? Do you have great ideas, skills, are
creative or seeking mentoring? Please consider volunteering for PAWA.
Fill out the following form and our Youth and Volunteer Coordinator,
Dina Sharif will be in touch. donateYou can choose for a one time or a consecutive donation amount. |
SupPorting the community in partnership with several organizations |
PALESTINIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION | ContactOffice: +1 (949) 310-0015 4790 Irvine Boulevard | JOIN OUR NEWSLETTERStay in the loop, and do not miss out on the latest updates from PAWA! DOWNLOAD THE APP
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