KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip — Inside the cars of the train that have been decorated with Palestinian flags, colored balloons, flowers and cartoons, dozens of children sit on wooden benches reading storybooks. This is the first "knowledge train" that visits villages in the southern Gaza Strip to encourage children to read and to develop their linguistic and creative skills.
Khalil Fares, the director of Shorouq wa Amal Center, which is affiliated with the Culture and Free Thought Association (CFTA) in Khan Yunis, told Al-Monitor, “The knowledge train is the first initiative launched by the center in cooperation with education associations affiliated with the CFTA and others like Asdaa Recreation Center. The latter lent the train to the center as a contribution to encourage children to learn and read.”