Rebuilding Science Education in Gaza
One Simulation at a Time

An interactive, Arabic-language STEM platform for secondary school students and teachers in Palestine

The Crisis

Gaza has endured three years of devastating war that has systematically destroyed its educational infrastructure. Over 80% of schools have been damaged or destroyed. More than 400,000 students have been displaced. Teachers have been killed, injured, or forced to flee. The entire curriculum delivery system has collapsed.

An entire generation of students has lost access to structured science education. Labs are destroyed. Textbooks are gone. Hands-on experimentation is impossible.

Secondary school students studying physics, chemistry, and mathematics face a future where they cannot compete academically or professionally. The gap between Palestinian students and their peers globally is widening. Without intervention, this generation will be permanently locked out of STEM careers and higher education opportunities.

This is not a problem that can wait for reconstruction. Students are continuing their education now, in tents, in overcrowded temporary classrooms, with teachers working under unimaginable conditions. They need digital tools that work on whatever devices are available, require minimal bandwidth, and deliver rigorous curriculum-aligned content in Arabic.

Our Vision

Siraj — meaning "lamp" or "light" in Arabic — is a browser-based, Arabic-language, curriculum-aligned interactive STEM simulation platform designed specifically for secondary school students and teachers in Gaza and Palestine. It runs entirely in the browser with no installation, works on low-bandwidth connections, and functions offline once loaded.

Every simulation, exercise, and learning module is meticulously aligned with the Palestinian Ministry of Education's official curriculum for grades 10-12 in physics, mathematics, and chemistry. We work directly from curriculum documents, consult with Palestinian educators, and validate content against learning objectives published by the Ministry. This is not a translated Western platform adapted for Palestine — this is a platform built from the ground up for the Palestinian context.

Siraj transforms abstract scientific concepts into visual, interactive, explorable experiences. Students can manipulate variables, observe outcomes in real time, develop intuition about physical laws, and engage with science the way it should be taught — through experimentation, exploration, and discovery. Our mission is to ensure that every student in Gaza has access to the same quality of STEM education available to students anywhere in the world.

Platform Pillars

Interactive STEM Simulations

Physics, chemistry, and mathematics simulations in Arabic covering grades 10-12 curriculum. Built using modern libraries including Manim for mathematical animations. Students manipulate variables, observe real-time outcomes, and build deep conceptual understanding through visual experimentation aligned with Palestinian Ministry of Education learning objectives.

AI-Powered Arabic Math Solver

Natural language Arabic input for mathematical problem-solving. Students describe problems in their own words and receive step-by-step solutions with explanations in Arabic, helping them understand methodology and build problem-solving skills beyond memorization.

Curriculum-Aligned Guided Exercises

Guided exercises mapped directly to Palestinian MoE standards for grades 10-12. Progressive difficulty levels ensure appropriate challenge and mastery, with immediate feedback and detailed explanations helping students identify gaps and build confidence in STEM subjects.

In-Browser Python Environment

Complete Python programming environment running in the browser with no installation. Students learn computational thinking and programming fundamentals while applying them to STEM problems, with Arabic interface, instructions, and examples preparing them for university and technical careers.

Live Interactive Simulations

Electric Field & Charge Interaction

Visualize electric field lines around point charges. Click to place positive or negative charges. Drag to reposition. Field lines are computed in real time using numerical integration. Color indicates field strength.

This is an illustrative demo showing the type of interactive simulation Siraj will offer students.
Charges
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Field at Mouse
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Gas Molecules: Pressure & Temperature

Observe gas molecule behavior under changing temperature and volume. Temperature controls kinetic energy. Volume adjusts container size. Molecules are color-coded by speed: blue (slow) to red (fast).

This is an illustrative demo showing the type of interactive simulation Siraj will offer students.
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100
Avg Speed (m/s)
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Pressure (rel)
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Collisions/s
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Calculus: Understanding Derivatives (x²)

Watch a step-by-step animated explanation of how derivatives work using f(x) = x². This video demonstrates slope, tangent lines, and rate of change—fundamental calculus concepts. Created with Manim mathematical animation library.

This demonstration uses Manim animations to teach calculus concepts visually for secondary students.
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Manim Animation: Derivative of x²

Video coming soon - demonstrates f(x) = x² and f'(x) = 2x
Function
f(x) = x²
Derivative
f'(x) = 2x
Tool
Manim

Alignment with Palestinian Ministry of Education

Siraj is built from the ground up to complement the Palestinian Ministry of Education's published STEM framework for secondary schools. Every learning module maps directly to official curriculum objectives for grades 10-12.

MoE Objective: Visual Understanding of Physical Phenomena

Enable students to visualize abstract physical concepts such as electric fields, wave motion, and molecular behavior.

Interactive simulations provide real-time visual representations of physics concepts. Students manipulate variables and observe immediate outcomes, building intuitive understanding of abstract phenomena through exploration rather than memorization.

MoE Objective: Inquiry-Based Learning

Encourage students to ask questions, form hypotheses, and conduct experiments to discover scientific principles.

Platform enables hypothesis testing through variable manipulation. Students design experiments within simulations, predict outcomes, and compare results to theoretical models, developing scientific thinking skills emphasized by MoE pedagogy.

MoE Objective: Arabic-Language STEM Proficiency

Ensure students master scientific concepts and terminology in Arabic, the language of instruction and assessment.

All content authored in Arabic, not translated. Scientific terminology, explanations, and assessments use language consistent with MoE curriculum documents. Students engage with STEM in their native language, ensuring comprehension and preparing them for Arabic-language examinations.

Development Roadmap

1

Curriculum Mapping & Research

Comprehensive analysis of Palestinian MoE curriculum documents, identification of learning objectives, and partnership establishment with Gaza educators.

2

Simulation Development & Arabisation

Build platform infrastructure, develop physics and math simulations, implement AI solver with Arabic NLP, and create Python environment with Arabic interface.

3

Pilot Programme in Gaza Schools

Deploy to 3-5 secondary schools for testing, conduct teacher training, collect student feedback, and iterate based on classroom use.

4

Full Platform Launch & Scale

Official launch across Gaza and West Bank, complete chemistry suite, offline capability, teacher dashboard, and continuous content expansion.

The Team Behind Siraj

Ahmad M. Almanassra

Ahmad M. Almanassra

Co-Founder & Education Lead

A Palestinian national and native of Gaza. Alumni of Red Cross Nordic United World College (RCNUWC). Holds a double bachelor's degree in Physics and Mathematics from Skidmore College, New York. Experienced educator across three institutions in Ohio, California, and the Caribbean. While in Gaza, served as a consultant with the Hearing & Sight Foundation (HSF), providing relief to displaced Palestinian communities. Ahmad brings extensive experience in cloud computing (AWS) and a keen interest in IoT. He founded Siraj to drive meaningful educational transformation in Palestine.

Photo coming soon

Ahmed A. Almanassra

Co-Founder & Lead Developer

A Gazan native and Palestinian national with over 15 years of experience as a senior web developer. Currently works with Line, a leading Palestinian IT and software solutions firm based in Turkey. Has worked on similar digital education projects across Gulf region markets. His involvement in Siraj is driven by a deep, value-based commitment to Palestinian education and the belief that technology can restore what war has taken from Gaza's students.

Impact & Call to Partners

Gaza's students have lost years of learning. Siraj exists to give it back.

For Financial Supporters

What We Need

  • Platform development and hosting infrastructure (cloud hosting, CDN, domain)
  • Simulation development and Arabic content creation (developer salaries, content writers)
  • Teacher training program delivery in Gaza (training materials, workshops, stipends)
  • Arabic NLP and AI solver infrastructure (API costs, model training, Arabic language processing)
  • Impact evaluation and research (data collection, analysis, publication of results)

Measurable Impact

Direct access to interactive STEM education for 50,000+ secondary school students in Gaza within 18 months. Teacher training for 200+ educators. Documented improvement in student comprehension and engagement with physics, chemistry, and mathematics. Preparation of students for university STEM programs and technical careers.

Support Siraj Financially

For Academic & Institutional Partners

Partnership Opportunities

  • Curriculum research and pedagogical validation (collaboration with education faculties)
  • Co-development of simulation content and learning modules (physics, chemistry, math departments)
  • Arabic NLP research and AI solver development (computer science and linguistics departments)
  • Teacher professional development program design and delivery
  • Impact evaluation research and academic publication (education research, data science)

Collaborative Impact

Joint research publications on Arabic STEM education technology, real-world testing ground for educational innovations, direct impact on conflict-affected student populations, and contribution to global understanding of resilience in education systems under crisis.

Partner with Siraj

Get in Touch

📞 +970 598 599 609