Trip to Gaza February 11th.

We were seven this time: Andres Bergamini, Lorenzo Ravasini, their friend Alexander, Fr. Don Moore, Br. Joe Loewenstein, and Fr. Thomas Bahmer and Sr. Susan Sheehan.

We joined Sabah at one of the women's centers where we had two meetings. The first was with representatives from our five schools. They had questions about what we had agreed to help them with such as renovations and materials needed for the children. They shared about their inability to pay their teachers as the children's parents cannot pay the monthly fees, nor the transportation. We will discuss this at our next meeting. They also said now that the food is so expensive that several of the schools cannot feed the children but three times a week. This is also to be studied; perhaps they need more money monthly for food. We broke for lunch and were served a delicious meal made there by three women who cook and bake as a catering service. We had ordered this meal and paid for it in order to sponsor this new initiative of the women.

In the afternoon we had a meeting with the Sabah and the three directors of the food distribution centers and discussed the families needing medical assistance. In January we were able to help: a family of 18 who had a skin dease due to living in a tent, a man who was totally blind to have eye surgery so he can see in one eye, transportation for a little girl needing cancer treatments in Egypt, one man with an amputated leg to get an artificial leg, transportation for a little boy with a hole in his heart needed surgery in Egypt and for medical exams for 40 people needing either glasses or operations. We left pleased that this medical help will bring quality of life to these individuals.
All of whom profit from our food program. Andres, Lorenzo and Alex stayed over for the week-end to be a help to Fr. Jorge.

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