Lorenzo visits Gaza, December 16, 2015

Glasses for school children

Visit December 9 and 10th 2014

This visit was two days of meetings, a visit to one of the UNERWA Schools where people are still living and visits to four very poor families.
On the tenth of each month this year our staff meets with all the directors of the three schools and I was delighted to be present for one of these meetings. The main discussion was about the higher price of food and the greater number of children in two of the schools.

The kindergarten children receive the meal

Visit November 2014, 17 and 18

Three of us went down, Br. Joe, Lorenzo and I and Sabah met us at the Palestinian side just in time to help us with our permits to enter. The Al Arabia School we visited first as it is near the border. The school was able to have an NGO sponsor new paint for the classes, so some classes of children were eating outside. Still others were studying inside. The meal was a sandwich due to the painting in process.

Lorenzo’s visit September 5, 2014

I found smiling soldiers at the frontier and a whole new procedure of entering. Thanks to Sabah the time to enter was reduced. We met the exceptional “Clown Pimpa” one of whom shares projects and whom organized many spectacles for the children.

Period of the second cease fire August 15

Sabah wrote that they were able to visit three areas and one hospital and the parish school. They found many of the families whom we know and who have files with us. She was able to get them medicines using the same system with the pharmacies that we use with the shops. A list of needed medicines was given to the pharmacist, the parents come for the medicines, sign and we pay the pharmacy.

August 14, 2014

The War is again making life difficult, no one can go out. Deaths of friends are heard about daily. The telephones are still working. Therefore Sabah, Wessel and our friends in the four pre-schools are preparing to have water and food parcels ready for 300 families in the four regions where our schools are located.

Period of the first Cease Fire

With several days to get help to the homeless Sabah, Wassel and her friends contacted shops in several regions to get water and food to families. The shop receives a list of names of our families and the families come for the 15 items, which a family member had to sign for.

Food distribution and pampers

Here  are some pictures of some poor families who have several sick among them. With no income they have been depending on others to give them some food. In May we were able to see that they received about 15 basic food items.

The El Omri organization is supplying the funding for food monthly to another very poor family where the mother must care for five very foolish daughters. The Father has died and there is no source of income for these women. The five daughters are ages 20 to 40, all walk, but only one can speak a bit. They are all in diapers which we provide for them now monthly.This family also needed clothing some of which we found for them.

Picnic with our four schools

Our end of the year picnic with our four schools was a great occasion to see each other and share a delicious meal. Everyone participated in the meal. The topic of conversation was the political situation now that there is a unity government.

End of the year at Baram Tour El Jana school

We were not able to be at this party, but we had seen them practicing for it. The clothing was all borrowed. The Palestian dresses Mohamad from the Musaddar School lent to them and the children danced beautifully for four and five year olds. Hannan the directress is in most of the pictures with the children. The teachers from the Musaddar School also came for the occasion.

The children pictures on the stage are pictures of the party that Mohamad school gave and it is in a local place that they rented. You can see how happy the mother's are by it all. At the end of each party the five year olds received their diploma. Sabah attended both of these parties and took these pictures.

End of year party at school

TEXT 2
Susan Lorenzo

Baram tour El Jana Kindergarten and Zakher

Roberto, Br. Joe  and I went down in April and ended up visiting the Zahar School when they were having a party. The parents had come to see it and the teachers danced with the children. They pulled us into the dance too. It was great fun. The children were in their best cloths for the occasion, these dressy outfits were passed down from child to child and shared with the neighbors.
Sister Susan

Departure of fr. Roberto Martines

With a heavy heart we must say farewell to Fr. Roberto, a Passionist Father, as he is being sent to Colombia to serve in a parish there.

The new school of two classrooms

We are proud of our new school of two classrooms. Due to the kindness of the Missionaries of Charity who had closed two classes, gave us tables, chairs, cupboards and toys these classrooms were transformed.

Food distribution - march 2014

This month we had some extremely poor families who were mal nourished and were in need of food. Visits to the families where sick and handicapped members lived really touched us. Br. Lorenzo received a donation which allowed us to distribute food to eight families. Here are some pictures of this event.

Two day in Gaza: an eye opener! - March 10 and 11, 2014

This time Sabah and Wasel had Fr. Roberto and I busy. The first day we visited eight families all with one member who was ill and often with two or three members who were ill!

Middle Camps region - January 2014 visit

Roberto, Lorenzo and I went for a day’s visit. We went directly to the Middle Camps region and visited three schools. One was Musadder which is our biggest school. The children were busy working despite the loss of electricity, as they have it only 6 hours a day now.

Our poster

We created a poster to make known our work in Gaza. You can download it and print it!