Brothers Andrea and Lorenzo and I were met by Sabah with taxi around 10.15 at the Gaza side of the checkpoint. We drove to the nursery school in Beit Hanoun and arrived about 10.30. This was one of the areas severely hit by the Israeli incursion of two weeks ago (and an area from which were fired many of the rockets aimed at Israeli towns). School was canceled for a week. The kids and teachers have been back for about a week now. Bishara Hamad, head of the school, welcomed us; school was in session.
We met Dr. Khalad Dahlan, a psychiatrist from the Gaza Community Mental Health Program. He told us how many of the children (and adults) are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS); in his visits to some of the families, the children would cower in the corner of the room, afraid to speak to anyone. For the week that they have been back in class, the teachers have done nothing but play games with them in order to work out some of the stress of these traumatized children. Judging from the squeals of laughter, they seemed to be succeeding, but I did notice some reservation from the kids when we strangers appeared in their class. Dr. Dahlan was explaining the programs they are setting up to help children and their families. There are some 130 children in this school alone. I wish those who turn to violence (Palestinians and Israelis) would realize how easily children are scarred. 
Our next stop was at the Sakehr school in the Sudjayha section of the city, one of the poorest areas, according to Sabah. We met with a number of the staff. Classes had ended for the day. This is the school where we have had most trouble getting receipts. The reasons: There are very few "established" stores in this area of Gaza. Often the food purchased for their programs is bought from vendors on the street. They have set up some sort of system to have the vendors sign a receipt. I don't know whether they are always successful, but Lorenzo will inform us. In addition the school makes a list of what is served in its breakfast program, and Sabah checks that list along with what has been purchased. They seem to be making a great effort to be as transparent as possible with the funds distributed to them. We met with a journalist and with a woman from the "Sakher Project", an educational group that gives educational assistance to our school and to a number of others. The head of the project was recently invited to a conference in Dubai. She was refused permission by Israel to leave the Gaza Strip. The space for the school is rented for about $160 per month. (He wants to raise the rent because he sees "foreigners" visiting the school and thinks that more money is easily available!) The Sakehr school has almost no area for play. They have permission to open the door to the backyard, a small area with an orchard. If the children want to use the space for play, it will mean more rent. One of the "outreach" programs of the school is to teach mothers how to prepare healthy meals for their families, although their choices are very limited. About 90% of families in Gaza are dependent on food aid from the UN and other international sources,a humanitarian crisis in itself, but there is still not enough food to go around. Food in markets is scarce and the prices have soared. The school is in need of fresh and brighter painting, but there is no paint to be had in Gaza (just as there are no building supplies to replace demolished homes, very few medical supplies, very little gasoline (almost all the gas stations we saw were closed), little electric power, and the like. 
From Sudjayha we visited Fawzi at an organization with which she is associated in central Gaza City. We were warmly greeted; they had just finished an award ceremony for five local women active in the area.
Andrea and Lorenzo were able to pick up some rugs, made by some of the women and requested by Italian visitors whom they are expecting. We heard an appeal from a man who is director of the organization: Please let people know what is going on here; we do not support the violence; we are trying to live in peace; we are normal human beings, NOT the caricature created by the media! 
From there we went to the Gaza branch of the Women's Affairs Technical Committee; Sabah does some work for this group. There was a meeting of university students who are trying to get some practical work attached to their study programs so that they may better integrated into society when they graduate.
The Committee has on-going programs for young women in computer training, focus groups on combating family violence and the like. From there we made a brief visit to the Missionaries of Charity with the promise of a longer visit next time for Mass. Then back to Erez. The crossing was relatively smooth, but I noticed they now stamp our passports going and coming -- as one Palestinian friend remarked: "It is like going into a foreign country." Indeed! All we met in Gaza expressed their deep gratitude for the programs run by Daughters of charity. I am sure Andrea will enrich the site with photos and videos.Don
