December 2009 events

This month I am writing on the 9 th. and up to this date we still have no permission to enter, nor has journalists and other NGOs been allowed in. Now there only a few hours of electricity is given during the week. People will be receiving food twice this month, due to not getting theirs in November. We regret that they didn't have the November distribution before the feast of Adahak which was the 8 th., yesterday.

November 2008 events

Again we were not permitted to enter. The transfer of money is increasingly difficult, due to this we were unable to get it transferred to our bank there until the end of the month. People are unable to cook their food or do so on wood fires due to no cooking gas. Electricity is limited to six hours daily. Life continues to be more difficult for everyone. The school chosen to be the fourth that we helping with the breakfast program is that of Masaddar, which has helped us with the coupon distribution in that area now for several years. Their area, all agricultural and near to the boarder, is especially in need. This month our team met and we studied what possibilities we have for the present and future due to the disintegrating situation. Rugs will be purchased for each classroom as the children are all still sitting on the floor. There are no chairs or tables available in the stores.

October 2008 happenings

We were unable to visit this month as the boarders were closed and no passes given. Still our lady there, Sabah, was able to keep our two programs running. The children received a breakfast, yet not like before when ANERA was able to get high protein wafers and milk to the schools. Coupons were again distributed to 150 families to choose what foods they needed most. Due to no gasoline, the little public transportation being too expensive or non existent, a donkey cart collected the food for many families. Ten families were added to the 150 making them 160 and Sabah worked on getting the information on each of the new families with pictures for our faithful benefactors that of Tuesday's Child out of Ireland.

Events in september 2008

With the time for schools to open Hamas gave some of the schools the keys to allow them to open. Each room had to be repainted due to the damage and graffiti. The children gradually returned but had to sit on the floor due to no chairs and tables. Tape recorders, books and everything in the kitchens were gone. We bought those schools supplies, so that the four schools would have something to begin with. This month we were able to visit only once. We also visited two very poor families. One was living four years in two tents, a family of 10, as their home had been destroyed. The father had just died six months before of a heart attack. This family received the monthly food coupons from our program. They were all very thin, as our food only lasts about ten days.

August 2008 events

The situation for our schools became critical as Hamas entered the schools at night and in some broke windows and in all wrote graffiti on the wall. They proceeded to take everything out and in one of our schools burnt the books and furniture in the play yard. They took the keys or boarded up the schools not allowing anyone to enter