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.

Visit in Gaza feb 12, 2013 - video and photos

Andres was off from his studies and free so he came as our “camera man” and we were delighted to have him. We had a lovely day. We started with going to the Middle Camps area where two of our schools are located. Each School was having a free day with a party. It was great being with the children again and seeing them in action. One school was celebrating the birthdays for all the children who had birthdays that month. Both schools had had renovations during the summer and it was the first time for me to see the great changes. Roberto and others had seen them before. Musadder School now has five classrooms and the ability of taking many more students.

February-March 2012 visit and meeting in Gaza

February 2012 - We visited the two schools in the north. Arriving at El Arabia there was dark classes due to no electricity. The hot meal was made in Fawyseh’s home and her daughter’s home as a result, as they had electricity. I took pictures of the salad and “majudra”. We asked the teachers what toys they wanted for inside toys and Al Arabia and Amjad wanted the same types of things.

Visit to Gaza September 2011

Due to generous benefactors these last two years we have moved into serving the sick. Last year we were able to assist 152 men, women and children with: medicines, various therapies, transportation cost to have surgery abroad, and orthopedic equipment. Dr. Amena has joined our group in Gaza who helps us assess who are in greater need when it comes to medical aid monthly. Her knowledge and connections there help the sick receive benefits from other medical NGOs in their region.

Pictures of latest visit in september 2011.

July 2011 Visit

Pictures of our visit in july 2011

November visit on All Souls Day

(The French translation below) Two families griped our hearts. They are both in Gaza City and each has a unique story. A handsome boy of ten, I will name him, Ahmad, with a slow but nice smile met us on our arrival to their home. We have visited many homes and very poor ones. This one was no different as this family of eight lived on the third floor of a building needing basic repairs.

Ahmad was playing in a local center for children, a club, where they could play afternoon after school when a shell entered the building landing beside him, which caused a fire. He was burned in the stomach and thy. It is two years since this tragic event, Ahmad has received treatment for his burns yet need a specially treated garment to cover the burns to enable the skin to heal. This garment must come from Germany and will be applied to the damaged areas.

Visit to Gaza October 12 And 13, 2010

Fr. Thomas and I, Sister Susan, made good time arriving and entering. Sabah was there to meet us and we headed south to Magasse and Musaddar. It was great to see the children busy with their letter or numbers in these two village nursery schools. While there we saw each school serve the meal. Some schools have fewer children than last May and other have more. Hopefully you will have the pictures we took while visiting.

Some new events in the Strip are that the farmers are now able to export some products via the tunnels. Eggs and chickens are now cheaper in Gaza than in Egypt. Seven individuals were helped this month with surgeries or medications. Doctors will be examinating the children in our schools to see who needs glasses. They will be receiving free glasses as did the 46 children who received them last year.

Visit 21th of September 2010

Br. Joe, Br, Andres and sr. Susan went to Gaza for our first fall visit. It was a blistering hot day. Yet our welcome was a nice relief from the heat and cold drinks accompanied us as we visited three schools and one women's center. Sabah met us at the boarder as usual and we visited the Al Arabia School where the children were hard at work. Due to the end of Ramadan being in the middle of the month the schools began only last week. The children of this School had no uniforms as this area is very poor. So far 120 had registered and more were expected.

Gaza visit July 6, 7, and 8

Brothers Andres and Lorenzo and I went down for three day arriving at the same time as Cardinal Mc Careick. We joined the men from the parish who welcomed him at the frontier, Sabah met us and we went to the parish where the Cardinal celebrated the ten o'clock Mass. Scouts with bagpipes playing welcome the him. His homily was great, as he encouraged the people in their faith despite the difficulties of life now.
This first day we visited Musaddar School seeing the added rooms on the second floor, which are great. Moh'd told us about the four micro finance programs which are going on there, which interested us greatly. We visited some poor families after and returned to the parish for the evening.

A very special visit, June 21

This was a very special visit as Sr. Vincent Allwan and Sr. Katharina came with Fr. Jean and me. We had a full day planned for them and Sabah kept us on schedule for everything. We began by visits to two poor families living in tents in the north. Two handicapped children were among them. Sr. Vincent was especially touched by the poor living conditions.

Visit February 22 and 23

(See below the report in French) Four of us went to down and for Br. Peter Bray of Bethlehem University, it was his first visit. In the morning we visited two of our schools that of El Amjad and Zahar. We found the children studying in groups. In one school we announced that they must teach the children in two shifts due to lack of space. The same teachers teach both groups of children. This must be exhausting. Nice meals were being given to the children. Both schools had been newly painted. Other renovations were appreciated by our group. After we visited four kitchens where the women's centers had grants to start catering delicious meals. We were able to sample their delicacies and left feeling a kilo heavier and ready to take a nap. In the afternoon I filled out forms on the individuals who we had provided money for surgeries or transportation for those who needed surgeries in Gaza or abroad. An artificial leg was purchased for one man.

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.

Visit January 31, 2010

Lorenzo, Andres and I, Sr Susan, accompanied two friends of the Western Lieutenancy of the Knight of the Holy Sepulcher, Chuck and Eleanor Radloff who have wanted to go to Gaza. This was the only day possible for them to visit. Before Mass we were able to visit the areas heavily shelled, mainly the industrialized area. We could see where some factories remained must as they were after the war and others that were being rebuilt. Men and boys with donkey carts were busy clearing and hauling away debris from the ruins. Others were straightening the tangled iron rein reinforment rods, working in twos. We are told that they are paid 15 shekels or $3.30 a day to do these jobs. We wondered how families manage to eat daily with such limited income.

Visit to Gaza January 11th. and 12th, 2010

Fr. Jean and I, Sr. Susan went to Gaza having no problems at the boarder crossing. A meeting was canceled so we were able to visit some Greek Orthodox spots in the morning. In the afternoon we had a meeting with three of our five schools to find out what had been purchased for them so far and what needed to be bought. Following we had a second meeting with the heads of the three centers who run our food program.

Christmas in Gaza: a visitation

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem - Christmastime in Gaza, celebrated, as is now the custom, in the last week of advent, was really beautiful. The Gospel of Luke for this Fourth Sunday of Advent tells the story of Mary rising and going quickly to see her old and pregnant cousin Elizabeth who lives in the hill country of Judea. The meeting and the greeting of the two women lets loose the joy of the babies they carry in their wombs. That is just the way it was for this visit of our Patriarch Fouad, pastor of the Mother Church of Jerusalem and representing the whole Church.

Visit december 2 and 3, 2009

Fr. Jean and I, Sr Susan had no hitches entering and leaving. Fawyseh and Sabah met us on the other side. We visited the Amjad School which Jean saw for his first time. The children were still there which was nice. The school was clean and the children were working hard. Jean spent a good amount of time getting to know their situation in the vicinity and asked what was purchased and need to be still.


A driver took us to Gaza City where Sabah had arranged a meeting with those involved in the food distribution: Maha, Fawyseh, Mohamed and Sabah. We learned much about the situation in each area. Our form will be for the families in need of medications, surgery, dippers for the elderly and all things related to health. I will meet monthly with this same group to identify the families most in need of our help.

Gaza visit of November 10th - report

Picasa Album

Fr. Thomas and Fr. Jean went down for the day. Entering went well they found that the passage on the Gaza side was finished and made passing suit cases much easier; they had carried four suit cases of used cloths for the poor. Sabah spent the day with them. They started with a visit to Fawyseh school in the north. The school is poor but clean. While they were there Save the Children brought them educational toys. Fawyseh and Nahla shared the problems that they were encountering, mainly that of limited space. They viewed the sun shade which needs to be enlarged. They still await their refrigerator. Courses for the parents are offered in the afternoon.
Following they visited the Musaddar school in the middle camps area. Najaw replaces Mohamed who was at a meeting; she updated the priests on events there. They are in need of several items: rugs for the classes, white boards, and clean water. For the long term, they need two added classes as their classes have too many children. Programs continue for the adults in the afternoon which are animal husbandry and micro finance. These classes go on with the help of other NGOs.
After, they returned to Gaza city where they visited the Zahar School. Ferial the directress welcomed them. This school was not as clean and well as the previous schools and this was discussed. They have been renting it only since the war and it needs repairs. They are also in line for a refrigerator, which Sabah will organize with them. Three schools have been promised them; a better price should be had buying three at one time.
They had no time to visit the parish due to having to be at the boarder at 2:30.

A week-end in the parish: 30 october - 1 november 2009

Picasa Album

Andres and Lorenzo spent a nice week-end in the parish mainly with Fr. Jorge, the Youth of the parish, the Little Sisters and Grada and her family. They visited the Byzantine ruins of the monastery near the coast which we hope that the new members of the team will be able to see. Fr. Jorge continues to join the kids weekly for their religion class and he organizes activities for all the youth about 40-70 every Wednesday doing something different weekly.

Video from Youtube

Our visit October 26 and 27

Crossing the boarder went well. A new health check was added at the Gaza side. Only our temperature was taken.

We were able to visit three schools and one women's center through these two days. Fawyseh was our driver as we started at her school where Sabah met us. At each school the children were busy learning to write their alphabet or numbers. Some were outside in the playground or having their lunch which we helped to provide.

With the directress of each school we announced the items that we had decided to provide for them for their schools. We asked them to get estimates of the prices and Sabah would with them what was best. Two need refrigerators and buying two at one time may be cheaper. The directress of the Zahar School was at the women's center, so we were able to discuss with her the same items to be purchased as we did with the other three schools.

At the Women's Center we were happy to meet the Directress and her team who run the various activities. Suha and Wissal the two social workers who have been doing home visits and have files on each family who need food; we met for the first time. We were very impressed by their work. They shared some of their stories. Many services to the area are provided at this center. It is one of the three Centers who distribute food for us. The women witnessed to a real sense of respect and collaboration among themselves.

As usual Fr. Thomas finish our first day with Mass said at the Missionaries of Charity. I spent the night with the Sisters and he at Fr, Jorge's house. Fr. Elias is at home as his brother is very ill. Despite very hot days we returned home being grateful to all whom welcomed us, shared their realities and vision of the future with us. Regretfully their situation seems to be worse at the moment due to political realities.

The pictures are of the children at the Missionaries of Charity School and of the women responsible for programs at the woman's Center.

Visit to Gaza with the new pastor - March 1-3, 2009

Visit to Gaza with the new pastor