The Lebanese government recently approved a unified contract for all migrant workers, the purpose of which is to regulate both the work and living conditions of the workers. The contract was a response to the demands of human rights activists, and their campaigns to stop the slavery like working conditions which many researches and investigations have proven exists for many migrant workers throughout Lebanon.

Women living in Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and many other poor countries, often seek work opportunities abroad, especially in those countries which enjoy a stronger currency with an exchange rate closer to that of the dollar. By doing so, their simple wages in these new countries will be translated into a good sum of money when it is sent back home.

These women are identified by companies that work as mediators between families in search of domestic assistance, and women that are seeking work opportunities. They are matched on the basis of a criteria set out by the family, and knowledge of a second language often plays a key role. The nationality of the workers is closely tied to the wages they are offered; as a result, the poorer the country of origin is, the lower the wage that is likely to be offered.

Migrant women arrive in Lebanon and are immediately sent to their employer’s residence, a space where familial relationships take place, and thus the blurry line between being an employee, and living in the family home, soon becomes less clear. As a result of the familial ties, it becomes difficult for the employer to set working hours for an employee that “lives” with them, and being a domestic worker where the sole responsibility of your work is to provide care leads to the extension of working hours to such an extent that it can often reach 20 hours per day. The employer becomes not the only the head of the household, but all those who live within the household, each with specific demands of “care” which must be provided.

Working in such conditions can lead to a certain amount of tension within the household, and a migrant worker that is responsible for providing care to a number of individuals will be performing her tasks to the point of exhaustion and despair. This stress and tension is often unconsidered by the family, and they regularly end in utter tragedies. According to an unpleasant statistic in a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) more than one migrant domestic worker in Lebanon each week commits suicide. Many of these suicides are carried out by migrant workers throwing themselves off of balconies in a desperate attempt to end their terrible living conditions.

An initiative took place from April 24th to the 1st of May 2010 in Lebanon named the 24/7 campaign to shed light on the disturbing living conditions of women migrant workers in Lebanon. The campaign made use of the virtual as much as the physical realm. A tweeting and a blogging campaign took place for six days in order to post information and stories about these migrant workers, raising awareness among Lebanese virtual societies. In addition, a migrant workers march was organized on the 1st of May to recognize and bring attention to the miserable conditions of migrant workers in Lebanon. A day of promoting the different cultures that these migrant bring with them was celebrated as well, and the Lebanese public was invited to taste the food of these diverse cultures.

Human Concern International’s team participated in both the march and the “taste- culture” day. We have promoted the campaign using social media means recognizing the efforts of human rights activists to bring freedom, and end the abuse of migrant women workers in Lebanon. Human Concern International will be taking part in future activities and campaigns to end abuse of migrant workers through providing assistance and support to these campaigns in line with HCI’s core values of promoting human rights, and respecting all those who are in need of them.

The event itself consists of conferences, exhibitions, and interactive training sessions. All three of these elements inform attendees of the latest and most effective trends and tools available in global assistance. They give local actors access to a truly international knowledge base, and allow them to increase their effectiveness by building upon the experience of others. By sharing ideas and reporting what has been successful, and what has not, they can ensure that mistakes are not repeated, and effective strategies are able to reach as large a number of people as possible.

This year, HCI’s team was invited to participate in the special pre-conference event organized by DIHAD and themed around the challenges to delivering humanitarian assistance. The response to both manmade and natural and disasters was discussed extensively and HCI’s experiences in Palestine and Lebanon were shared with the rest of the attending group which included members of several key international agencies such as The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

During the three day long multi session conference, titled “Global Health Challenges of Tomorrow: Impact & Response, which featured several talks by leading experts from all around the world such as the chief of the public health sector of the UNHCR, the regional director of UNICEF, the operating officer of the World Food Program as well as many others, HCI’s team contemplated the most current health statistics and most cutting edge innovations in the field of disease prevention and response. A myriad of topics pertaining to global health were discussed; from killer diseases of the poor to health priorities in disasters and crises, from children’s heart diseases in developing countries to hospital preparedness for mass casualties in Palestine.

At the exhibition HCI’s team was one of the 150 regional and international NGOs that were present at DIHAD, in addition to presenting our work and experience, we were also given the opportunity to meet with other organizations and companies that specialize in supplying a multitude of diverse goods and services for disaster response operations, humanitarian aid projects and development programs. This was an excellent opportunity for networking as this event was attended by key decision makers, procurement and logistics officials from leading international, regional & local NGOs, UN Agencies, Governmental Departments and international associations. This opportunity to interface with governmental and corporate representatives creates greater synergy and effectiveness. Ultimately, this benefits those in need as it reduces waste, allowing services to be delivered where they are needed quickly, responsibly, and sustainably. By bringing together a diverse and international set of participants, the conference provides global knowledge and resources to those striving to find solutions to local issues.

In addition, the team attended specialized workshops given by experts from around the globe such as tools for community empowerment, the logistics in the provision of health service and others. The experience provided sound technical advice which can be used in the field to better address health related challenges. The participants benefited greatly from the transfer and sharing of knowledge and resources through debates and dialogue amongst each other, through exposure to the showcased emerging trends in the development field, and through networking amongst global and local actors.

DIHAD has become one of the premier events of the international aid community, one which is widely referenced and held in high esteem. It is through conferences like DIHAD that aid organizations can work more effectively together, and avoid duplication, conflict, or confusion amongst their agendas. For all of these reasons HCI was, and will continue to be, a very proud participant.

Orphans throughout the Arab world are stigmatized, marginalized and severely disadvantaged. In a society where family is of the utmost importance, they are often isolated. As a result, they are at risk of exploitation and may be forced into dangerous and degrading work, including child labor, and sexual exploitation. Without financial and emotional support from a complete family environment, they must bear responsibilities well beyond what should be required of someone their age. They run the risk of becoming adults inexperienced and unfamiliar with the values and skills normal for participation in society in a productive, positive, and sustainable manner.

Human Concern International has gone to great lengths to reverse and prevent some of the disconcerting trends faced by orphans. By providing financial and community support, our program can help to prevent the isolation of children, and rebuild damaged self esteem. We seek to empower these children, and their care-givers, so that they may become self-sufficient, happy, productive members of society.

Gaza:

Orphans in Gaza face perhaps the most difficult conditions in the entire region, and their numbers are growing. During the 2008-2009 Israeli incursions, nearly 1,500 children were orphaned in the space of less than a month. They must face the violence, deprivation and uncertainty of a life under siege without the stabilizing support of a complete family. On Arab Orphan Day HCI and its local partner, the Aid and Hope Program for Cancer Patients (AHP), took a group of orphaned children out for a day of fun. There was face painting, a playground, and the chance to relax for children living under extreme conditions. They were also given a good, healthy meal which included chicken and meat. This is very important, as meat is now prohibitively expensive for the majority of people in Gaza, and as a result children face a whole host of nutritional problems including iron deficiency, and a lack of protein. The children loved their food, and the chance to play together. They were eager to write letters for their sponsors, and were very reluctant to leave when the event finally ended.

Egypt:

On Arab Orphan Day, HCI and its local partner, the Gozour Foundation, took a group of orphans between the ages of 5-16, along with their mothers, out for a day of carefree entertainment. They were brought to the “Fangoon” art school where they were given the chance to paint, make pottery and jewelry, and generally have fun. For both children and mothers it was a welcome relief from the stresses of their daily struggle to survive. Our organizers could not help but smile at the sight of the children having such fun together. A deteriorating economy and increased hunger means that these orphans face many challenges, but HCI is working to better the lives of as many as possible. The day also marked the commencement of HCI’s Child Sponsorship Program in Egypt, which will match donors with children in need, and give those children the financial support they require to have a fair chance at a productive life. The event raised awareness amongst local communities of the valuable work performed by HCI, and helped to strengthen links and support networks. We can be sure that the children will not forget their special day of fun, and as they finally had to go back to their homes they told us they were already looking forward to next year’s event.

Lebanon:

Arab Orphan Day in Lebanon was celebrated in Tripoli by HCI taking 25 orphans out for a day of fun in cooperation with our local partner, the CIWS. They were given the chance to meet, play, and eat outdoors in a healthy environment with other children who face the same challenges of living as orphans in Lebanon. The children come from families who live in poverty, and survive on donations to make ends meet. The stress and uncertainty they face every day takes a severe emotional toll, and deprives them of a child’s basic right to play and develop healthily. On Arab Orphan Day we sought to provide them with some relief, if only for a short period. They live in crowded, poor neighborhoods where parks and public spaces are non-existent. The chance for them to visit a pleasant, outdoor environment was something they do not normally get to experience, and they loved every minute of it. They started the day with a great meal at the local “Yalla Yalla” restaurant, which also had an indoor playground which the children enjoyed immensely. After, they were taken to banks of the local river where they could relax, play, and enjoy each other’s company. The sound of the children, their mothers, and the volunteers all singing together was a welcome change from the often bleak picture of life in the Mediterranean’s poorest city. The day gave these children what they needed most, a chance to escape from the difficulties of daily life, and the knowledge that they are indeed loved and appreciated.

Rights Based Approach:

In all of our activities, whether in Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine or Sudan, HCI takes a rights based approach towards working with orphans. Our actions are intended to comply with, and realize, the articles set forth in the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This document, ratified by 192 nations, is a powerful tool in the global effort to enhance children’s right to education, health care and safety. Although it is the state’s responsibility to fulfill the obligations outlined in the convention, in practice limited resources means that this is not always possible. It is, therefore, incumbent on non state actors, like HCI, to fill the gaps. Children are vulnerable, and lack the political power to claim their rights themselves. The CRC is a powerful tool that places obligations which every nation must meet for the sake of their children. HCI, through our child sponsorship program and events like the Arab Orphan Day celebration, is working towards a day when all children can benefit from the rights of the CRC.

Future Challenges:

Unfortunately, the checkered, unstable political landscape of the Middle East has bred conflicts such as in Lebanon, Palestine and Sudan. The deaths of fathers and mothers in these events has created an altogether new tragedy, as the children they leave behind join the growing ranks of the region’s orphans. This means that HCI’s support will be needed ever more in the future. We must continue to work towards a day when orphan children will enjoy all of the same opportunities and joys as others, and rightfully take their place as full members of society. Though events like Arab Orphan Day are undeniably helpful, there is still much work to be done.

Nabaa is a mixed, multi-confessional Beirut suburb which faces chronic unemployment, a lack of social services, and suffers from high levels of insecurity. Local residents are at risk of criminality, drug use, and sexual exploitation. The local youth who conducted the PRA were both male and female, Christian and Muslim, reflecting the diversity of the neighborhood in which they reside. Despite poverty, Nabaa has avoided inter-sectarian violence and as such is an example for others to follow. It was an ideal candidate for a PRA research. Our local partner, Dar Al-Amal, is one of the few non-governmental organizations which operate in the area. They are determined to improve the lives of local youth, and prevent them from entering into lives of crime or prostitution. Despite their dedicated efforts, one organization alone cannot change the fate of a community, and they need assistance. The PRA, developed by and for the people of Nabaa, will boost their capacity and be of significant help for all of those working towards community renewal and prosperity.

The first phase of the Youth Initiative Project has now been successfully completed; this phase included Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) training for a diverse group of twenty young men and women from Nabaa carefully selected to reflect the diversity in the area. The general purpose of the training was to provide the participants with conceptual knowledge and skills on Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) techniques thus enabling them to utilize PRA techniques in determining local community needs and introducing community-oriented interventions and initiatives.

The ten-day training conducted by HCI’s experts in the field of development workshops presented participants with PRA theory and practice and was balanced between field practicum and in-class sessions that included brainstorming, working groups, interactive exercises, and reflections. The course began with basic concepts and principles of PRA and was complemented with field practicum where participants were provided with opportunities for hands-on experience in the targeted community guided by a multidisciplinary group of team leaders having backgrounds in social work, development and activism.

During the 5-day field practicum, participants used the PRA approach which utilizes different tools in order to reach the most accurate results on what the needs of the community are. The research team/Participants were disbursed among the targeted area and represented the different ethnic/religious groups residing in the community. The PRA team met with households from different parts of El Naba’a. In the meetings, open discussions were held on health, environment, economy, education, and social life. The meetings were convened in varied ways through focus group discussions, home visits, and open general meetings. Community members were given the opportunity to identify their perception of the challenges that most affect their lives and the needs that should be fulfilled to help their community move towards a better future.

On the last day of training, the main findings of the field were discussed comprehensively and summarized, and as a result the main problems identified by community members were as follows:
- The deterioration and insufficiency of health care services; especially for patients with chronic or critical health problems
- The poor quality of education at official (government) schools and the high cost of education in general (school tuitions, extra assistance classes, private tutoring, and other costs)
- The prevalence of illiteracy among married women (especially those with children)
- The lack of awareness among women about support services provided by official and civil society organizations in and outside the area
- The ineffectiveness of current institutional committees
- Increasing living expenses of households
- Weak economic contribution of women
- Population increase and lack of reproductive health awareness among married women in reproductive age
- Domestic violence and gender-based violence
- Absence of security in the community and existence of conflict between residents and foreign workers residing in the area
- Ineffectiveness of garbage collection mechanisms and environmental pollution
- Drug addiction and prostitution among youth
- Absence of safe open spaces and leisure activities for children and families

The development of a PRA is the first step towards brightening the future of Nabaa. Before a problem can be fixed it must first be recognized, and the PRA does just that by setting out clearly what the challenges are, and providing practical information to those who seek to alleviate them. This research reflects the work of development professionals, devoted local youth volunteers, and residents, all of whom have a stake in the future of the community. It is the first such appraisal to be performed in Nabaa, a place too often ignored and marginalized by traditional centers of power. Though a PRA cannot solve every problem, it is a powerful tool for those who work in the development field, and will help them to focus their efforts on the problems most acutely felt by local residents. By building capacity it will make HCI, and all those working towards the betterment of Nabaa, more effective community developers. We can be sure that it will serve HCI’s development interventions for many years to come.

HCI has made the PRA report available free-of-charge upon request for everyone, and as part of the Youth Impact project more young people from Nabaa are in the process of joining the initial youth group to have their capacities built in the field of developmental thinking, proposal writing and fundraising through a new series of workshops organized by HCI. The youth are using the newly acquired skills and the findings of the PRA report to design a group of youth-led/run interventions with the purpose of improving their neighborhood. HCI and a special committee made up of community leaders in Naba’a are evaluating the submitted proposals and selecting winning interventions, which are funded by HCI.

HCI presents the Child Sponsorship Program; the case of Abdel Rahman and Bara’ Hashem from Lebanon

With the help of HCI, SADR has now 2865 members. 2120 members in Fasher area, 127 in Malit area, 385 in Kabakbiyeh area, and 297 in Ala’et area. All in Northern Darfur state. The majority of the members are physically challenged, and the remaining are either blind (207 members) or deaf (336 members.)

This extraordinary outreach and membership expansion was further supported by HCI. In 2007, a micro-credit scheme targeting unemployed physically-challenged people was initiated. The project provided the beneficiaries with needed training and technical assistance as well as seed funding over two phases to manage and run a micro-credit scheme to provide beneficiaries with loans to setup small income generation activities. In 2008, HCI provided SADR with mobility equipments for its physically-challenged members.

In January, HCI launched The Building Opportunities for Sudanese Disabled project to further support SADR’s 2865 members with special needs and its 5110 registered beneficiaries, also with special needs. This project touches on the economic aspect of the lives of people with disability, and this is often either absent or invisible as a need to the community they exist in. The project is also designed to provide aid for the community as a whole, not only the physically challenged. The increased employment and income generated by vocational training, on-the-job support, and business development services that the project provides, also gives an economical boost to the community. The project combines vocational training, on-the-job support, and targeted micro-grants offered to the community members and disabled people.

In this phase, groups (each consisting of 10 pre screened and identified disabled individuals by HCI and its local partner SADR) are formed and receiving training concerning micro-business management; each group is responsible for the management and follow-up of the initiatives submitted. Each group has a group leader, a secretary and a financial leader to facilitate the loans/grants scheme moderation in each site and credit collection. Initiatives are being developed by the people with disability to generate income. Feasible ideas will be provided with a combination of grants and loans, and they will be implemented.

Some of the initiatives being designed include: a refrigerator project (where the beneficiary has purchased a refrigerator to rent it out to other small business for storage and protection), a men’s wear workshop (where the beneficiary has purchased a sewing machine to make clothes) a wood chopping and coal production business (where the beneficiary has purchased the tools needed to chop wood and make coal for heating purposes), a school uniform workshop (where the beneficiary has purchased a sewing machine to make uniforms), a water station (where the beneficiary has purchased a carriage to sell water) a home based cafeteria, and a bean canteen.

Also In this phase the vocational skills of physically challenged individuals in the areas of Fasher, and Mahaliya northern Darfur has been improved.

A group of underprivileged Iraqi and Jordanian children volunteers met after school over couple of months to rehearse for a play called The Happiness Forest.

The play served as a safe and effective space for the children to learn lessons on peaceful coexistence, pluralism, gender equality, tolerance and non-violence.

The play was debut on the prestigious Royal Cultural Center in Amman, Jordan and was attended by hundreds of children from the same unprivileged neighborhoods.

The play is produced by Noura Al-Qaisi and directed by Mohamed Amro in participation with New Development (NDev) and Jordanian Child Theater.

Cancer kills 7.9 million people every year, and is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1-14 worldwide. Tragically, many of these deaths are entirely preventable. In the developed world, the advent of new treatments has seen cancer survival rates steadily climb, but, as with so many other things, these treatments are not available in much of the developing world. The result is that children in Egypt, for example, are twice as likely to die from cancer as children in North America. One cannot imagine the pain families must endure when their child is lost simply because he or she did not have access to adequate medical care.

In Egypt, a country of 81.5 million people, only 350 hospital beds are dedicated to treating child cancer patients, and no more than 100 physicians have received pediatric oncology or hematology training. It is one of many nations which do not devote enough funds to pediatric oncology out of the misguided belief that it is prohibitively expensive, and resources would have a greater effect elsewhere. This simply is not the case, as a recent study by St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital has demonstrated that even a small increase in funding can dramatically improve survival rates. Prevention and early diagnosis programs are highly cost effective, and do not require advanced technologies. Despite the evidence, the World Health Organization does not have any program in place to correct the huge disparities in cancer survival rates worldwide. The result: children in the countries like Egypt continue to die unnecessarily.

Psycho-social support for child cancer patients, and their families, is particularly lacking in Egypt. It is considered merely as an afterthought, if at all, and families must often face the emotional challenges of cancer without professional support. Adding to this is the stress resulting from poverty, and the daily struggle to gather adequate funds to pay for treatment. Many families simply cannot bear the emotional or financial burden, and as a result they abandon cancer treatment programs for their children prematurely.

The Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt (57357) has taken it upon itself to correct the imbalance, and ensure that even the poorest children of Egypt have access to the same life saving treatments and support as their more fortunate counterparts. Operating since July 7, 2007, it is now the largest pediatric oncology centre in the Middle East and Africa. Its facilities include Egypt’s first specialized department of physiology, social work, and psychiatry for pediatric oncology. Creating a single hospital devoted to pediatric oncology has enormous benefits. The hospital staff is both highly trained and highly motivated. It has created a nucleus for training new physicians, carries out groundbreaking research, and provides top level treatment. By collaborating with experts worldwide, the hospital is able to integrate the most advanced medical knowledge into its treatment of patients.

The hospital has recognized the need not only for state of the art medical care, but also for a more comprehensive approach. As such, it has inaugurated the country’s first school program for hospitalized children, to ensure that they will be given the chance to succeed once they have completed their treatment. It provides support to families as they struggle to cope with the stress of a cancer diagnosis for their child. Hospital staff work with the community to raise awareness about cancer screening, and early detection, as a way to improve survival rates, and save the lives of countless children.

CCHE serves all Egyptians, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or ability to pay. All treatments and medications are provided free of charge if a family lacks sufficient financial means. Also, economic support is given to families who must often travel long distances to visit their children undergoing treatment, and who would otherwise be unable to afford the journey. Housing and job opportunities are provided when necessary. All of this means that now less than one percent of patients abandon treatment, whereas economic hardship previously caused almost 16 percent to not finish their programs. The hospital is a model which should be followed throughout the Middle East, and the world.

Human Concern International, in recognition of the hospital’s achievements and vision, has provided them significant financial support. The hospital is committed to sustainability, and we can be certain that no dollar will be wasted. It is money that will be used to help the hospital to expand, bringing its life-saving treatment, education, and message to ever larger numbers. We wish the hospital the best of luck, and are privileged to aid such a worthy program. We are certain that they will continue to provide high quality care to all those who need it for years to come.

The scars of war are visible everywhere. Southern Lebanon is littered with unexploded landmines and cluster bombs. These, combined with injuries sustained during conflicts, mean that the South has a high number of physically challenged individuals. These individuals are severely limited in their opportunities. Again, it is war that is the main culprit, as it has prevented sustainable development and destroyed infrastructure. Services for the physically challenged are hindered by poor micro-economic conditions, as those areas which are the most economically depressed tend to also have high numbers of physically challenged victims of conflict. The result is very little support for the physically challenged, and a very poor state of accessibility.

Southern Lebanon suffers from high unemployment among the general population, and the physically challenged in particular have little chance of obtaining meaningful employment. Research indicates that 85 percent of landmine victims regard lack of employment opportunities and economic reintegration as their main concern. Insufficient access to training, education, and capital means they often lack marketable skills, making it extremely difficult for them to achieve economic independence. As long as this continues, the physically challenged will be unable to break the cycle of dependence that is extremely detrimental to their self-esteem and emotional well-being.

More than three years have passed since the end of the 2006 war, but the damage lingers. It has left a legacy of poverty and uncertainty to a region that is a stranger to neither. During the war between 1.2 and 4 million cluster munitions were dropped. About 40% of these cluster bomblets did not explode. Many of them have yet to be cleared, and they continue to kill and main. The bomblets have also severely damaged agriculture, rendering formerly fertile fields into virtual no-mans lands. Hundreds have been killed since the end of the conflict, and farmers take risks by continuing to work fields which have yet to be fully cleared. They do so because if they do not work the fields, they will become one more in a growing number of unemployed. Additionally, landmines are a part of daily existence. There are an estimated 150,000 landmines still deployed in Lebanon. The vast majority of minefields remain both unmarked and unfenced. Alongside cluster munitions they destroy both lives and livelihoods.

The impact of the landmine problem in southern Lebanon also includes issues of internally displaced people, basic services and socio-economic development. After the conflict, all humanitarian and development assistance efforts were hampered by the threat of mines, resulting in a lack of rehabilitation and resettlement areas, a lack of land for agriculture, an increase in costs of development, a deterrent to tourism and, of course, a devastating impact on people. Experience has shown that an integrated approach to a landmine/UXO and social rehabilitation problem in an affected country is necessary to achieve maximum efficiency, to reduce risk, and to achieve increased security. Additionally, an integrated response could address the problems of mine/UXO surveying, marking and clearance; terrain verification; and mine awareness in a coherent and coordinated manner.

HCI has had a long history of working to improve the lives of land mine and UXO victims in the region, we have collaborated since 1995 on numerous projects with local partner Tamkeen Association for Independent Living, which is a nonprofit organization that takes care of the disabled and works on their rehabilitation. Some of the many projects implemented by HCI include equipping the special education center, early intervention center and the physiotherapy treatment center for rehabilitation of disabled people (particularly landmine victims), securing emergency relief funds for those affected by the July 2006 war and the numerous conflicts the area has seen, a landmine and unexploded ordnance danger awareness program and a micro loan program for disabled people and their families among others.

HCI’s latest venture with Tamkeen is the Backyard Production Support project. The project provides complementary services to the farmers and entrepreneurs such as offering them seeds, soil fertilizers or any materials they may need -all free of cost - to improve their production, better manage their projects, and of course support their livelihoods as small scale farmers and entrepreneurs. The importance of this project lies in the fact that the beneficiaries are able to secure an income through micro farming and other enterprises close to or outside their homes, without the need to commute, placing them on the path towards self sustainability and improving their self esteem. We would like to share with you the stories of some of the individuals who benefited from the Agricultural Extension Project. Nasser Oubeid

Nasser Obeid is thirty seven years old; he lives in the Southern Village of Jibchit. He is the sole breadwinner to a family of eight children. He used to be a construction worker, but after stepping on a landmine he was disabled as a result of his injuries and was unable to continue construction work. Last year he started a small backyard farming and cow rearing project as a more feasible way for him to support his family given his current physical condition.

Since receiving HCI’s small grant Nasser’s backyard project has been very successful, he is aiming to buy ten thousand Carob plants in the near future.

Samih Nasser

Samih Nasser is forty five year old father of two daughters that have speech and hearing disabilities. He lives in the southern village of Deir Syrian. In 2001 he was injured by a landmine and as a result his left leg was amputated below the knee, he is still undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.

Samih used to own a small shop near his home that he was unable to continue running, this caused him a lot of anxiety, and he was eventually forced to close it down. HCI’s intervention has helped him operate a small farm near his home and given him hope that his family will have a better future.

Houssam Tabajah

Houssam Tabajah is thirty six years old and lives in the southern village of Kfartibnit. After a land mine accident he lost his leg and as a result of severe head trauma also lost his sight.

Thanks to HCI’s intervention he was able to successfully set up and operate a small kiosk that sells food items and snacks among other things. Houssam’s success has inspired him to dream of bigger plans for the future; his new goal will be to eventually set up a citrus farm and raise cows.

On the 10th of Dhi Al-Hijaa during the pilgrimage season, Muslims around the world celebrate Eid Al-Adha or the “Feast of Sacrifice”. As part of the celebration, an animal is sacrificed for the sake of Allah and to feed the needy and poor. It is a rewarding spiritual act for Muslims. Every year, Human Concern International (HCI) carries out the Adahi Meat Distribution Project in different underdeveloped Islamic countries to feed needy and vulnerable families.

In 2009, the project was implemented in Gaza, the West Bank, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan (with Iraqi refugees) where families of the poorest communities received meat packages directly from HCI’s team, or through the help of our local partners.

The goal of the Adahi Meat Distribution project was to enable poor and vulnerable families to cover their basic need for animal protein during this holy season. Inflation of the prices of meat usually occurs during this season, which reduces the purchasing capacity of many families, especially poor ones. Many families also cannot sacrifice their own livestock because they need their animals for the production of milk, cheese and other dairy products, and to work in the fields.

The project has three main objectives: relieving poor families who cannot afford the high price of meat during this season; forming links with local communities to address the needs of poor and vulnerable families, and complementing HCI’s overall relief and development initiatives in the region. HCI’s selection criteria directed distributions to low-income, large, and single-parent families, particularly if the single parent was a woman or person with special needs.

In Gaza, HCI’s team made up of tens of volunteers went door to door and personally delivered the parcels containing meat portions. They listened to and made note of each family’s problems so that this information could be used for the next needs assessment and distribution project. Hundreds of families benefited from the distributed portions. The distribution was implemented in Sheikh Rdwan in Gaza city, Ezbat Abdrabo in Jebalia, Al Zaytoon neighberhoods, and Shajaeya in Al Shatae refugee Camp.

Neighborhood committees and the local volunteers helped in the distributions. The Shahada family, one of the families benefiting from the Adahi packages told the volunteers that they literally hadn’t tasted meat in months, as did another family from Ezbit Abd Rabo, who were extremely thankful for the meat they received, without which their Eid would have been miserable.

In the West Bank, HCI’s team organized the distribution of hundreds of meat packages to low income families with special needs persons in the Central District of the West Bank.

Female-headed households, and families where the breadwinner is disabled, were selected as front-end beneficiaries. Local women’s groups and village councils assisted in the identification of beneficiaries. HCI’s local partner, the Vocational Training Workshops for Girls NGO in Palestine contributed additional parcels that were distributed to additional families. The slaughtering took place at the premises of the NGO, as did the distributions. Families arrived early morning of the first day of the Eid to get their Adahi. The project provided direct support to the families surrounded by the West Bank Wall or by Israeli settlements. Local newspapers reported on the distributions.

In Sudan, HCI along with local partners, organized and implemented this year’s Adahi Distributions in many refugee settlements in the south, north and west of the capital. The Adahi Project targeted all those who reside in these communities, focusing on single mothers and orphans. Targeted beneficiaries where identified in association with local partners. The slaughtering and distributions were done according to the Islamic traditions. Every family received one package. The project targeted the poorest families, especially widows, orphans and families with no income. HCI’s team made a point to be active in communities that contain refugees from the Darfur region and from southern Sudan.

In Egypt, HCI’s team distributed meat packages to the poorest households in the marginalized new desert settlements of Kalabsha El-Jedida, Bashayer el-Kheir, New Tomas and ‘Afia village located west of Lake Nasser.

In order to guarantee a proper exposure to the HCI, banners, stickers and bags with the HCI logo where printed to be used on the day of distribution, so that people from the villages would recognize that the event was an HCI initiative. HCI’s local partner, the Center for Development Services, contributed additional parcels bearing the logos of HCI and its partners that were distributed to additional families.

In Jordan, in the Jabal Al Qusour district, one of the poorest areas of the capital Amman and home to thousands of Iraqi refugees, HCI’s team distributed food packages to marginalized and mostly widow headed Iraqi refugee families despite the continuing challenge of reaching needy Iraqis who are often unable to seek out official forms of aid because of economic constraints or disabilities.

Family Development Association, a women-headed grassroots organization, assisted in reaching out to Iraqis most in need based on the preset selection criteria. HCI’s long term local partner, New Development assisted in the screening and selection of final beneficiaries, as well as in the procurement of food items in close consultation with HCI’s team. HCI’s local partners contributed additional packages bearing the logos of HCI and its partners to be distributed to additional families. Local newspapers reported on the distributions. These families are live mostly on donations and humanitarian aid with no financial income whatsoever. The Adahi distribution made it possible for them to fully celebrate the holy days. One of the families which received a meat portion hadn’t included meat in their very humble meals since the last Ramadan Eid.

In Lebanon, hundreds of needy single mother headed families benefited from this year’s meat distributions during the Eid Al-Adha in Tripoli, Lebanon. Some of the distributions were conducted at the premises of HCI’s partner in Tripoli, the CIWS.

HCI’s team went door to door in the poorest neighborhoods of the city of Tripoli and personally delivered the meat portions to the remaining beneficiaries. HCI’s team supervised and monitored the entire process from the procurement of the supplies to the packing, as well as the organization of distributions and the selection criteria for beneficiaries in order to ensure the highest and best efficiency.Beneficiaries have commented positively on the distributions, and have sent greetings and best wishes to HCI, and to the people who made their Eid possible.

The Adahi project is designed to deliver immediate relief to the poorest families in 5 Arab countries (Sudan, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Egypt). It is important to continue implementing this seasonal project every year, as poor families can’t afford meat portions in their diet due to its high costs. The Adahi project promotes sharing and caring values especially in times of need, as well as in times of feasts. The project promotes the good will of HCI and our commitment to working and alleviating poverty in the Arab region. It enhances HCI’s relations with local partners who implement these projects, and the communities in which we work with.

The Adahi project as an immediate relief project supports other development projects that HCI is implementing in the region by exhibiting HCI commitment to poor communities need. It demonstrates the quick response and delivery of the HCI’s projects while working towards longer and sustainable outcomes through our other specialized projects.

Children, in particular, are sensitive to the traumatic events which characterize life in the West Bank, and it affects their development acutely. Disabled children may be faced with two challenges, both the physical handicap of, for example, a hearing impairment, and the emotional damage caused by the sudden loss of a family member due to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Displacement and an uncertain future are felt by children as well as adults. They are deprived of the sense of stability and social cohesion that is critical for healthy psychosocial development.

The Palestinian Authority does not have the resources to aid these children. Funding for specialized schools is not readily available, and the economic crisis throughout the West Bank means that resources remain scarce. Restricted movement and occupation have taken their toll on the West Bank economy, and in turn on the funds available to the Palestinian Authority. This means that it is up to Non-Governmental Organizations like Human Concern International to fill the gap, and give the children the education they need for a real chance at a fulfilling life.

Without education physically and mentally challenged children are often doomed to a life of dependency and poverty. To prevent this from happening they must be reached at as young an age as possible. Numerous studies have shown that early childhood development is crucial for success later in life. In light of these facts HCI, along with local partners like the Vocational Rehabilitation Workshops Society for Girls (VRWSG), have established a unique kindergarten in Bethlehem targeted specifically at physically and mentally challenged children with a special focus on the hearing impaired; there is much work to be done in the field of providing early education opportunities for special needs children in Palestine and The Human Concern Kindergarten (which was given its name by the local partners in recognition of HCI’s efforts in the region) is proud to be one of the pioneers that provides these children with a much needed sense of normalcy and stability that is sorely lacking in the lives of West Bank children. It gives them the confidence they need to face the enormous challenges which await them later in life.

The school has a capacity of forty children. That is forty Palestinian children who are given a safe haven, specialized training, and a chance at a better future. Teachers trained in sign language give hearing impaired children the chance to fully communicate. Furthermore, the school not only aids the hearing impaired, it is also fully accessible to the physically challenged, and has staff ready and able to deal with whatever difficulty the children may face, whether is it physical or mental. The school is fully equipped, and all facilities (rooms, entrance/exits, door, kitchen, toilets, playground, etc) are approved by the Ministry of Higher Education as fully accessibilities for children with mental, hearing, or physical impairments. Its staff includes counselors specially trained to work with deaf and mute pre-school children, as well as social workers capable of providing psychosocial support.

Helping children is critical for the future of the West Bank. It not only aids the children themselves, it also aids their parents and families through the activities organized by the kindergarten. It teaches children to become self-reliant, which will in turn relieve future financial burdens placed on family budgets already stretched to the breaking point by restricted movement and a depressed economy. Outreach activities inform parents of the importance of educating their children, and sign language training is given to the families of deaf and mute children so that they are able to fully communicate together. The kindergarten has helped boost the local Bethlehem economy by creating nine new full-time jobs. It not only symbolizes a chance at a better life for the children, it also represents hope for the future of the community.

Social workers employed by the kindergarten help to reduce the stigma that challenged children face amongst their fellow Palestinians. By working with local residents they encourage greater acceptance of physically and mentally challenged children throughout the community. This is done through actions such as the training of government workers in the use of sign language so that they are better able to communicate with hearing impaired children. The kindergarten itself ensures that challenged children meet others who face the same difficulties, and lets them know that they are not alone in their struggle. It is a bright spot in the otherwise bleak lives of children who are not often given the chance to succeed. Little by little we are working towards the day when these children will no longer be outsiders; a day when they will be able to contribute to the building of a more prosperous, accepting Palestinian society.

This year’s Beirut International Marathon saw more than 33,000 participants, including, among others, the Lebanese President, Prime Minister, four government ministers, and many other Members of Parliament, brave the cold and the rain to come together and run or walk in support of a good cause. More than 4,000 volunteers also took part, including members of Human Concern International, a testament to the strong sense of community often displayed by the Lebanese. The marathon was truly for everyone, not only the professional athletes and victors. It was an event which gave many people the rare opportunity to run and exercise in a city where the absence of parks and public space makes it often very difficult to do so. For one day the sounds of car horns and the fumes from exhaust pipes were replaced by thousands of people singing, laughing, walking, and running. It was a demonstration of what can be achieved if we make the very simple choice to live healthier.

The Beirut Marathon provided HCI with a unique opportunity to spread our message to literally thousands of people. It was an opportunity that we did not miss. Before, during, and after the marathon participants and visitors received HCI’s awareness materials which encouraged Lebanese to take a second look at their diet, and, combined with our website (www.hcime.org/sahetna), provided them with all the information they need to start eating healthier. A 34-pages manual was produced to address all requirements for a healthy diet. “Food pyramid” posters were given to local schools, and placed in classrooms to let children know how much vegetables, fruit, grain, milk, oils and beans they should eat everyday. Children must know the importance of eating healthily, and these posters give them the knowledge they need in a colorful and engaging way. In the days and weeks leading up to the Beirut International Marathon, HCI utilized a booth in the heart of Beirut to distribute printed materials, and meet face to face with both marathon participants and members of the general public. By doing so we were able to reach a large number of people, promoting a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet. Through our website we were able to bring that same message to countless others.

In Lebanon and from the start we have encouraged healthy activities, as seen by our sponsorship of Beirut’s first ever Terry Fox Run in 1997. The Terry Fox Run, an event in which people of all ages come together for one day to run and raise money for cancer research, was only the first step. More recently we also implemented the national “Farm to School” project, which promoted healthy eating habits among school-aged children, along with many other objectives. Information is the key to combating the obesity epidemic. Better informed people make better decisions, and will lead happier, healthier lives.

The Beirut International Marathon happens only one day of the year, and reaches out to tens of thousands of people. On that day HCI did what it could to promote a more active lifestyle and a healthier diet, but in order for our advice to be effective it must be followed the other 364 days of the year, and reach millions of other Lebanese. Obesity is a serious problem that deserves serious attention. We must all pay more care to what we eat, and start to exercise regularly. HCI can provide the information you need in our online healthy eating guide, including ten recipes for specially developed nutritious meals which use ingredients easily available throughout the region, but only you can make the choice to change your lifestyle. Doing so will give you a longer, healthier, happier life, and help prevent what may soon become the most serious epidemic on earth.

Building on HCI’s extensive regional experience in orphan sponsorship, HCI has been exploring new ways to reduce immediate needs of orphans and to create greater opportunities for their future progress.

Entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly accepted as an important means and a useful alternative for income generation in young people, particularly in the developing world. As traditional job-for-life career paths become rarer, youth entrepreneurship is regarded as an additional way of integrating youth into the labor market and overcoming poverty. For orphans, entrepreneurship is a bottom-up method for generating an income, self-reliance and a new innovative path to earning a living and caring for oneself. More importantly, when these end-results are met, the psychological health of the orphans improves; when orphans, for the first time, generate an income and develop self-reliance, they are going to feel worthy, confident, and self-confident.

Furthermore, the majority of orphans, especially children from single mother-headed households living at home, rely heavily on financial and in-kind assistance from either better-off individuals or from institutions. Such children become passive receivers of charity, meaning that they rarely get the chance to explore and build on their capacity. With such mindset, such children rarely try, at older age, to make the leap from survival to long term sustainability by investing in entrepreneurship. The reason behind this is not only the fact that they rely on charity every month and thus feel no pressure to work, but also because they have been passive receivers for such a long time that they have lost the mental readiness to actually build progress on their personalities. These children, as adults, no longer believe that they can be productive - they lose self-confidence.

It is October, there is a group of fifteen teenagers gathered together eagerly taking notes, we are in one of HCI’s entrepreneurship classes held in Sudan, these eight girls and seven boys’ lives are about to change; they are one of many groups of orphaned youth to be selected for HCI’s program. In a series of six three-hour classes, they are cultivating a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship, developing entrepreneurship within the group, getting a deeper understanding of running a business, receiving hands-on entrepreneurship training, testing their business ideas under realistic circumstances, and most importantly, getting “a sense of and feeling for” entrepreneurship and business by implementing the concept of “Business for a day” in which they are asked to carry out a spontaneous business activity, which is subsequently evaluated.

Alia is one of these students; She lives with her mother in a makeshift house made from bits of plastic & aluminum, her father and brothers were killed several years ago in the bloody civil unrest that plagues the country. She is one of the many internally displaced people that have fled the violence in the south of the country and live in the slum-like settlements around Khartoum. The only opportunity she has to improve her life is the education and the help she receive through HCI’s sponsorship program. Even though she is just seventeen, she is already full of business ideas, she tells us that she is learning a lot from the classes and is excited to start her own business; “there is no running water in our area, the women have to trek for 45 minutes to the nearest well to fetch water every morning. If I take out a micro loan, I will be able to buy a donkey and use it to carry water from the well and sell it to the women in the settlement. By doing this way the girls in the settlement will have more time to go to school and learn”.

There are thousands of young people like Alia in Sudan, needing a just little bit of guidance and a small push in the right direction in order to unlock their full potential and build up the confidence to develop their own livelihoods; after all the visions we offer our children shape the future.

In an attempt to care for and support the children affected by poverty and conflict in this area, HCI together with local partner Jabal Akroum Association, organized an excursion for one hundred boys and girls from eight villages in the Jabal Akroum area this August as an intervention to address their psychosocial wellbeing, which is a very important factor that if neglected can lead to reduced social connectedness, coping skills and resilience, this in turn places children at risk of isolation, apathy, drug or substance abuse, truancy, self-exploitation, and criminal behavior.

The children, mostly orphans from underprivileged backgrounds and their supervisors were transported by buses to the northern city of Tripoli for a fun filled day. The first activity of the day was a trip to an amusement park which was reserved for them in advance; they were given access to all the rides and games. The children laughed, ran about, played and generally seemed excited. Many of them told us that this was their first visit to an amusement park, and their first time in the city.

After the amusement park the children left, (albeit a little reluctantly) to go the Al Mona School, where HCI local partners CIWS had especially set up a dining hall and prepared a healthy meal for the occasion. The meal was prepared as part of HCI’s Farm to School project — where school-aged children receive nutritious meals, learn about the path from farm to fork and are provided with essential information on healthy eating habits. After an active afternoon of fun and games, the children looked quite happy to take a short break for lunch and refreshments.

As the children got back on the buses to be transported to the port of Tripoli for the final stop of the day, their excitement was palpable and justified; many of them had never ventured far from their villages in the mountain and had only heard about the sea in stories or seen it on television. Once at the port, they observed their surroundings with awe as they walked along the shore and saw the fishermen at work. When it came time for them to take a boat ride along the coast, awe turned into pure unbridled elation. The children’s happiness was so intense that it was contagious; all the on looking boatmen and fishermen seemed to be wearing smiles almost as broad as those of the children.

The program was specifically designed to target low income school-aged children, most of which are direct victims of war and scarcity and have to bear the difficult consequences of violence and deprivation that affects them and their families on many levels; whether on the income provided by the head of the family or on the quality of their meals at home. Dietary deficiencies can affect short-term health, increasing the risk of dental problems, obesity and anemia. In the long term, poor diet may increase the risk of coronary heart disease, strokes and diabetes. Some cancers are believed to relate to a low intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. Under-nutrition, even in its milder forms can have detrimental effects on cognitive development, behavior, concentration and school performance.

While implementing the Farm to School Program it was evident that complementary awareness raising activities concerning education and health should be implemented with the parents and care givers of these children giving them valuable essential tips on: healthy eating practices, food safety, hygiene and how to promote healthy eating and lifestyle habits, that can last a lifetime through specially designed engaging workshops and printed materials; Human Concern International is proud to announce the completion of the “Sohatak Bel Deni” manual, providing parents, teachers and caregivers with detailed essential information about cooking healthy food at low cost among other things.

The specially designed manual is a result of research done by a team of nutritionists and agricultural engineers and takes into consideration the access of the low income households to certain food items, as much as it takes in consideration the lack of access of these families to healthy living choices, and the common misconceptions about what is nutritive and what is not. The manual explains the ABC’s of what is healthy and what is not in an accessible format, it should be noted that the manual is not designed to alter the lifestyle of these families, but rather to reorganize their eating habits while keeping their financial budget intact.

The thirty-one-page Arabic manual is full of valuable information; from easy to understand food pyramids to recommendations on healthy eating habits such as consuming Omega 3 rich foods at least twice a week, from food safety advice such as the best way to handle and store poultry, to healthy cooking practices such as the use of vegetable oils instead of traditional ghee. A menu suggestion with recipes for healthy versions of traditional foods such as Okra stew and yoghurt salad is also included, each with its own calorie, Protein and carbohydrate breakdown. HCI did not forget to include an activity page for the children to color and have fun while learning.

Human Concern International is proud to publish and distribute this resource to enable communities, schools and caregivers to plan better meals for their children and by doing so contribute to their general overall physical and mental health and to their school attendance. The Arabic manual will be launched in various low income and rural locations around Lebanon, complemented with specially formulated awareness raising sessions held by qualified nutritionists; it can also be downloaded here free-of-charge in PDF format (7.74 MB): Sohatak Bel Deni Manual

Our interventions may be large scale such as rehabilitating war damaged schools or small scale such as honoring the tradition of a community which we serve. This year, in the Holy month of Ramadan, in the aftermath of a devastating war, there was no community in greater need of support and kindness then that of Gaza’s destitute. When HCI decided to distribute food packages to the needy, the war-affected people of Gaza did not have to stand in long queues. HCI’s team made up of tens of volunteers went door to door and personally delivered the much needed food items and listened to and made note of each family’s problems.

Behind Jamila’s Door

Jamila Al Shaikh Khalil’s door was one of the doors we knocked on. She is seventy years old; she has been a widow for forty years now. When her husband passed away, she was left to raise three children singlehandedly. Her family was shattered once more when her son died in an accident, after which her daughter lost the ability to speak and remained in a dazed and catatonic state. Jamila’s two older sisters also live with her; they are frail, and unable to walk. They need monthly medical attention and a lot of care.

After many words of gratitude, Jamila told us that there are many marginalized women like her in Gaza, with nothing to fight hardship and disease with but prayer and patience. She told us that the food package we have given her will help ease the incredible economic burden on her family for the next coming weeks; she tells us that we have given her hope, and she asks God to bless HCI for having compassion and helping the needy.

Behind Maher’s Door

Maher Aloush and his family are one of HCI’s beneficiaries residing in the Shati’ Camp. He and his seven family members currently live in a small rundown 2-bedroom house. His five children suffer from several debilitating illnesses that require continuous medical support, and his youngest six-month old daughter suffers from malnutrition. It is worth noting that Maher Aloush also suffers from heart problems aggravated by his stressful living conditions.

The Shati’ (literally meaning Shore) Camp where the Aloush family live is considered to be one of the poorest camps in the Gaza Strip. As you walk through the alleys of the camp you notice that the air grows heavier and damp, and your lungs fill up with the stench of polluted sea water and raw sewage.

The camp has not only been gravely affected by the imposed blockade but the residents have been collectively living in extreme poverty for years since fishing, the main source for income generation, was officially banned and declared illegal by the Israeli Authorities. Since then, unemployment rates have soared to unprecedented levels, only to be exacerbated by the recent siege.

General nutrition has also been gravely undermined as a result of the fishing ban. In the past, poor families unable to afford meat and chicken would fish. Today, they are denied the basic privilege of eating well. Environment and health hazards have also become an increasing concern in the camp. Even before the imposed blockade, supplies necessary to equip and maintain the solid waste station have been denied by the authorities putting the residents’ health in serious risk and causing substantial damage to the environment.

Considering the gravity of the situation, HCI identified the Shati’ Camp as a high priority area within Gaza, with a large number of family beneficiaries partaking in most of HCI’s initiatives.

In an attempt to contribute to the livelihood and wellbeing of this family, HCI has ensured the involvement of Maher Aloush and his family in as many initiatives as possible. The family for example, was one of the many recipients of the Ramadan distributions, receiving a parcel containing several food and non-food items. Also, Maher was offered temporary employment during the Kindergarten Rehabilitation program which helped provisionally relieve the family of its dire financial situation.

HCI continues to support the Aloush family, the residents of the Shati’ Camp and the Gaza Strip and hopes to reach out to thousands more in need. HCI is committed to the struggle of keeping hope alive in the hearts and minds of every Gazan.

This Ramadan, like many Ramadans before, in villages, towns and cities all over The Arab world, HCI has reached out to many disadvantaged communities in the true Ramadan spirit; hundreds of traditional healthy Ramadan meals have been served to those the most in need of help and support. In addition, specially designed care packages that contain food items such as rice, dried beans, sugar and dried fruit that the families can make use of throughout Ramadan have been distributed by HCI to help ease the economic burden on these families while being as nutritionally beneficial as possible. HCI’s selection criteria direct food allocation to low-income, large, and single-parent families, particularly if the single parent is a woman or person with special needs.

GAZA STRIP

In Gaza City, HCI organized an Iftar for war affected farmers and their families who have been supported by HCI to establish their own farming businesses. One hundred and fifty people came together to share the success of what HCI introduced into their lives, out of destruction these people have managed to reestablish their livelihoods, it is impressive; It has been nine months since the last Israeli Operation here and 3 years into a stifling siege, life for Gazans is characterized by chronic unemployment, infrequent access to power and water, health hazards stemming from inadequate sewage system, and sub-standard housing with thousands living in tents or the rubble of their former homes. When it was time for the distribution of food packages to the needy, the war affected people of Gaza did not have to stand in long queues this year, HCI’s team made up of tens of volunteers went door to door and personally delivered the much needed food items and listened to and made note of each family’s problems.

THE WEST BANK

Life has not improved for many of the Palestinians living in the West Bank since the construction of the separation wall that has severed communities, people’s access to services, livelihoods and religious and cultural amenities. In keeping with its commitment to help where it is needed, HCI’s presence was also felt in the West Bank this Ramadan; in the Central District of the West Bank we organized food package distributions for low income families with persons having special needs.

SUDAN

In the Salama settlement, south of the capital Khartoum there are about eleven thousand internally displaced people who have fled the violence in the south and west of their country. Here they face chronic poverty, high unemployment, and many health problems. Iftars were organized for them here as well as in the north and west of Khartoum in similar settlements. The distribution of hundreds of much needed “goodwill” or “fasting” food packages as they are called in Sudan were implemented all over the capital as well.

Since it is also close to the time when school fees must be paid and school supplies must be purchased, to ease the economic burden on these mostly single mother headed households, and inspired by our firm belief in education as a form of empowerment, we have also prepared back to school items to be distributed to several community schools around the capital. Our Iftars and packages may not seem enough compared to what these communities require, but they address an immediate and pressing need, hopefully with more funding in the future we will be able to do more, for now at least these settlers know that they have not been forgotten.

EGYPT

Kalabsha El-Jedida, Bashayer el-Kheir, New Tomas and ‘Afia village are new Egyptian settlements west of Lake Nasser; they were conceived as part of the government’s plan to resettle one million people around Lake Nasser by 2017 to green the desert. Several of these small agricultural communities have already sprouted up in this desolate land, but the lack of basic amenities has so far been a hindering factor in this project realizing its true potential. Yet even in the face of enduring hardship, these vulnerable and marginalized settlers from all over the country are determined to make a future for themselves and for their families. This year, HCI in collaboration with local partners made sure that 400 of the poorest households in these settlements took home a food package that would be a source nourishment and economic relief.

In the two days of distribution, work was continuous around the clock to ensure the timely delivery of the food parcels. The New Tomas and ‘Afia village are quite far; approximately 270 km south of the nearest city, Aswan. Making this journey in the morning with the scorching heat was quite challenging for the team but after Iftar as we drank cold water and ate dates, allowing their sweetness to awaken our blood sugar and digestion, we felt inspired to see firsthand the courage and will of these settlers determinedly building a new life for themselves under difficult conditions, and we felt happy to have played a small role in their narrative which will undoubtedly prove to be a success story.

LEBANON

In Lebanon, one hundred and fifty physically handicapped individuals and their families from all over the country participated in an Iftar organized by HCI in partnership with the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union. In the hopes of making their Iftar a memorable one, a carefully selected wheelchair friendly venue was selected for the event and a Hakawati, a traditional storyteller, was at hand to volunteer and entertain these families with inspirational tales; the human connection between the storyteller and the audience creates a sort of friendship, and thus the stories told become more believable and accepted. This makes the message or the advice hidden within the story more influential to their lives.

In the northern city of Tripoli, one of the poorest cities on the Mediterranean coast with an alarmingly high number of single mother headed homes as a result of war and conflict, HCI organized a series of Iftars and distributions; food packets were distributed to needy families in the north and three hundred orphans and their families were invited by HCI to break their fast together over a period of three days. We are pleased to report that the normally quiet Ramadan evenings in Tripoli were filled with laughter and the sounds that children generally make when they are having fun. Furthermore, HCI organized an Iftar in the high and remote village of Jabal Akroum for the needy local families.

IRAQI REFUGEES

It is estimated that Jordan hosts over 500,000 Iraqi refugees, the majority of which are without residency permits and unable to work legally, they are often fearful of seeking out official forms of aid. They largely confine themselves to their homes because of economic constraints, disabilities and concerns about their legal status. Access to educational and health services remain limited. Every day is a struggle to hold their families together with very little means. And even though their future is uncertain and their current situation is grim, going back home is out of the question; home is where they saw the destruction of their communities and the constant threat of violence, torture and extortion. Growing numbers are living at or below the poverty line. The resources of many families have dwindled to almost nothing and this creates concern about the simplest things, like how they will feed their children each night.

This year, HCI’s team in Amman distributed hundreds of food packages to mostly widow headed Iraqi families. Not only did these families receive temporary relief to their economic burden but their dignity remained intact, and they felt cared for.

“It is a win-win situation for everyone,” he concluded during the inauguration ceremony of the kitchen supported by the German Embassy in Lebanon, as well as the opening of the third Lebanese-Palestinian youth summer camp which hosts Palestinian youth from camps in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories.

“We thank HCI for this important initiative which is vital for the revival of low-income remote areas,” commented H.E.M Brigitta Eberly, the German Ambassador to Lebanon who attended the ceremony.

The German Embassy in Lebanon contributed over $16,000 to equip the kitchen at the premises of the school/orphanage which will help HCI’s Farm to School project expand its scale and scope to reach out to other schools and orphanages in nearby villages, which is expected to benefit more than 700 children during the summer of 2009.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by H.E. Mrs. Bahia Hariri, Minister of Education and Higher Education and H.E. Mr. Mario Aoun, Minister for Social Affairs.

“Cause and Identity” is the theme of this year’s Lebanese-Palestinian youth summer camp which coincides with the celebration of Jerusalem as the 2009 Arab Capital of Culture. The 40 Lebanese and Palestinian youth come from different regions in Lebanon and from Palestinian camps in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories.

“Building bridges and trust and creating a platform for dialogue and sharing among Lebanese and Palestinian youth is the main objective of this summer camp,” H.E. Mrs. Hariri, the President of the Hariri Foundation for Human Sustainable Development (HFHSD), explained during a discussion with the participants. HFHSD is sponsoring of the summer camp.

The Lebanese Ministry of Education and Higher Education has been actively working in the past two years on integrating health and wellbeing topics into the Lebanese school curriculum, especially for elementary school students. “HCI’s successful Farm to School project which promotes healthy eating habits for school-aged children is a significant initiative that the Ministry of Education should consider adopting to improve student health,” suggested, Rabih Yazbeck, HCI’s Regional Director, during a conversation with the participants. “We hope that the summer camp’s attendees will benefit from our initiative, and take what they’ve learned back to their families and help bring awareness in their surrounding environment,” Mr. Yazbeck concluded.

The Farm to School Project was launched this March in two regions in Lebanon. To this date, thousands of school-aged children have learned about the path from farm to fork and healthy eating habits.

The program desires to support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms, and provide jobs for vulnerable women and nutrition for poor students hence contributing towards their health and well-being.

The family farm owners will have a chance of securing a steady income, the students will be motivated to get an education, and the unemployed women will have the opportunity of working and generating income. These benefits are not limited to economy and education, but also affect the overall morale of the residents.

On the long-term, the program will introduce waste management programs like composting, and experiential education opportunities such as planting school gardens, cooking demonstrations and farm tours.

What we are witnessing here are the combined efforts of the public and private sectors, and the civil society, local and international. These initiatives transcend all national, religious, and racial differences and have one aim in mind, the well-being of our children and families. At the end, humanity is the bridge that connects us all, and it lies ahead in anticipation of the courageous many who will attempt to cross it.

At a time when Nobel Peace Laureate, Mairead Maguire, and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney are detained for attempting to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza, at a time when toys, food and medical supplies are lingering elusively at the gates of the city, and the imposed blockade continues to exacerbate millions of lives, the residents of Gaza continue to live their daily tragedy in silence, in face of a world that has grown weary and apathetic to their cause.

The malaise following the December war continues to haunt millions of people, who have become desperately poverty-stricken. Devastated homes and neighbourhoods have become typical scenery, scarcity of food common, unemployment the norm, and increased rates of disease an inevitably which even if curable, lacks the necessary medical supplies and treatment.

Gaza has become synonymous with wars, destruction, and poverty. No wonder only a few are aware of the rich history and culture buried beneath decades and centuries of rubble so eloquently detailed in “Life at the Crossroads: A History of Gaza” by Gerald Butt recently re-published in 2009.

It has not been an easy task for HCI to reach out to the residents of Gaza. HCI’s resources and effort this year have been dedicated to this challenging task. The arduous journey however, has been rewarding and possible due to the perseverance of our team and supporting partners both in Gaza and the West Bank. Most recently a developmental initiative has been launched in support of families suffering from the now ubiquitous food-shortage and unemployment.

OFFERING CAPABILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES

After extensive research and inquiry, and in spirit of HCI’s aim to offer sustainable developmental solutions, poultry keeping presented a feasible and manageable project, one that also plays an important socio-cultural role in Gaza. Poultry keeping makes use of family labour, mainly women, who are major beneficiaries.

The Agricultural Support for Smallholder Farmers and Food-Insecure Households initiative is currently assisting families in setting up small poultry-keeping businesses. Areas and direct beneficiaries have been screened and selected by HCI and its local partners, the Aid and Hope Centre for the Care of Cancer Patients and the Vocational Rehabilitation Workshops Society for Girls NGO. The designate areas comprising most of Gaza, share the same characteristics: elevated poverty, gravely affected by the war, high unemployment rate especially among the women population and finally suitable environmental and physical conditions for backyard production.

Each of the beneficiary families is provided with a flock consisting of approximately 100 birds. These flocks are managed by the individual farm families in order to secure food, income, and provide a form of employment mainly for women. Each farm family is provided with the necessary equipment, livestock and technical assistance required to implement the project. In addition, a local team of semi-volunteers consisting of veterinarians and agricultural engineers has been formed to assist in the distribution of livestock, equipments, technical assistance and follow up to ensure the success and sustainability of the individual businesses.

For many of these families, the poultry business is the sole means of livelihood, contributing to the overall well-being of these food-insecure households.

The small business also presents one of few opportunities for low-income, food-deficient families to save and invest, hence securing them from many unforeseeable risks. In addition to being a major income-generating activity (the sales of birds and eggs), the occasional consumption of either meat or eggs provides a valuable source of protein necessary for a healthy and nutritious diet which is generally lacking.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERTISE: THE TRAINING

Representatives from each family were invited to attend the training workshop for the Agricultural Support for Smallholder Farmers and Food-Insecure Households initiative that took place in Gaza. The training was a prerequisite for running the poultry business.

The purpose of the workshop was to familiarize the prospective business owners with the technical, medical, and managerial skills necessary to run and sustain a poultry-keeping business. The training underlined the importance of development as an alternative to aid. In addition, it was intended to help the trainees, particularly women, acquire the knowledge and expertise needed in setting up small businesses.

IN DEPTH: THE LIVES OF THREE GAZAN FAMILIES

“Living below the poverty line”, is a phrase no longer representative of the reality it once aimed to depict. It is insufficient, impersonal and ambiguous–a statement that generates nothing more than statistical controversy nowadays. Unfortunately the reality itself remains–uncontroversial and unaltered. Hunger and unemployment continue to govern the lives of millions in Gaza.

The story of three families in particular comes to us as a reminder of the true meaning of war and sanctions, of their repercussions, suffered by none other than innocent children and families who alone bear the brunt of conflict, destruction, poverty, hunger, and disease.

HOPE IN DESPAIR: THE MOBAEED FAMILY

Poverty is not merely a state of deprivation. It is a process that compels those implicated to redefine their priorities. In such cases of extreme poverty, nourishment and shelter take precedent while health and general well-being very rarely are considered. Sometimes however, the perpetual stress of survival takes its toll, exacerbated only by negligence and lack of awareness.

Last March, 37 year-old Nidhal Al-Mobaeed, mother to seven children, stumbled upon representatives from the Aid and Hope Centre for the Care of Cancer patients at the Women Affairs Centre bazzar in Gaza during their awareness campaign for the early detection of breast cancer sponsored by Human Concern International.

That day she was duly briefed about the mammograms test which is among the best early detection methods for breast cancer among women. Few days passed before Nidhal decided to go for her free examination. She and her husband recall that day with much sorrow, the day when Nidhal was informed she is suffering from a malignant form of breast cancer, one that warrants surgery and the complete removal of her breast.

In addition to her serious medical condition which hinders her from working, her husband Saleem suffers from cartilage damages in six of his spinal vertebrates deeming him also unfit to work. As a result, the family was left with very little or no income, equally overwhelmed by the urgency of Nidhal’s medical condition.

As such, the Centre proceeded to make all necessary arrangements in preparation for the surgery and designated doctors to follow up her condition. Coordinators from the Centre were also asked to visit Nidhal frequently to offer moral and psychological support. Upon their last visit, the coordinators informed the family of their selection to the poultry keeping program.

The news brightened up an otherwise bleak reality, one that this family was made to endure as a result of disease, hunger, devastating wars, and extreme poverty. They were relieved to know that all technical and medical assistance pertaining to the poultry keeping business will be entirely taken care of for the first six months to allow for the business to flourish. Their two youngest daughters, 7 and 11 year-old Shrooq and Amal, were certainly delighted at the thought of playing with the birds and caring for them.

According to Saleem, the business will set out to be a source of nutrition for the family. The unconsumed surplus, such as eggs, will be sold to secure a steady flow of income. This in turn will allow the family to purchase lacking necessities, contribute towards Nidhal’s medical treatment, and restore their war-damaged home.

The story of the Mobaeed family might be laden with sorrow and hardships but it also paints a bittersweet picture of hope and resilience amidst poverty, war and disease.

INSPIRED BY LIFE, THE GOOD AND THE BAD: THE AL-SAMEERE FAMILY

It is difficult to imagine how life can possibly be a source of inspiration for those who are besieged by so much misery–when poverty is aggravated by disease, when disease is exacerbated by hunger, and hunger by devastating wars. This is the story of Fayaad Al-Sameere, a man who despite life’s every attempt at breaking him, remains high-spirited, hopeful, and determined, undeterred by poverty, hunger, or disease.

Fayaad lives in his modest home in the outskirts of Gaza, along the border, with his wife, six children and one grandchild. Fayaad was introduced to the members of our team when he came in one day declaring that he is “not here to beg or ask for money”. Fayaad came in that day asking that his elder son, Hussein, be treated for a malignant case of cancer as the family have lost all source of income and were unable to proceed with treatment.

Twenty-year old Hussein was forced to discontinue his education due to his illness where he suffered from untreated tumours in the neck. Fayaad, unable to help his son due to his dire financial situation, turned to the Centre for support, and our team duly obliged.

It is important to note that Fayaad, this vigorous 40-year old man, full of life and hope is himself a victim of cancer. His tumours extend from the neck to his chest, and he has undergone seven different surgeries. Despite his passion and love for life, though, Fayaad has grown weary, especially after he was banned from travelling to complete treatment. The reason is the overwhelmingly high expenses that according to the authorities suffice to treat fifty patients. As such, Fayaad’s treatment came to a sudden halt leaving him with one wish, to live in peace.

Peace however, was not granted to the Al-Sameere family. A plot of agricultural land along the borders of Gaza, once a source of income for the family, is now forbidden territory. Every morning through a pair of binoculars, Fayaad gazes at his land on the horizon. Each day he hopes that they would return to harvest the land and restore the damage caused by the war, whose bulldozers destroyed decade-old Almond trees, a war that left numerous landowners and their families deprived and landless.

Their home was not made an exception. During the December war, the family had to flee their house in the outskirts of Gaza in search of a safer place in the centre of the city. Despite their already overwhelming expenses they had no choice but to pay rent for their safe haven. Incessant bombing did not spare their house, and it too suffered severe physical damages.

It is clear why Fayaad’s family were most suitable for the poultry keeping project. They have suffered the malaise of war, poverty, hunger and disease all together, and though they do receive aid on a quarterly basis, it is insufficient.

Upon our team’s visit to Fayaad’s home, they noticed that a small piece of land adjacent to the house was already cleared out in anticipation of the flock of birds. In Fayaad’s words, the business represents a lifeline for the family and an opportunity to once again lead a self-sufficient and dignified life.

This source of income will go towards Hussein’s treatment, food, clothes, an oven and other necessary missing furniture. In addition he aspires to expand the business in the near future to include cattle which would generate more income for the family.

Fayaad’s steadfastness and optimistic outlook, is not merely admirable but inspirational. When everything else seems to fall apart, his love and passion for life remains undisputed.

A DOOR-LESS HOME: THE QUEEDER FAMILY

As the title suggests this is the story of a family too poor to even afford a door to conceal their modest home. There lives Mariam Queeder 70-years of age, a widow and mother to three children and seven step children most of them suffering from mental disorders, a condition that has become all too common in Gaza. Mariam’s daily strife for food and income is heart-wrenching, mainly relying on the kindness of a few charitable individuals.

Maysoon, the youngest and only child with a high school diploma, bears the brunt of this everyday battle. The responsibilities are cumbersome and the pressure of being the only high school graduate means that she is possibly the only family member with a slightly better chance of employment. Her siblings see in her a leader, indeed she is the family’s sole caretaker.

Unfortunately, her daily struggle to secure some form of sustenance for her siblings is undermined by the lack of income, and she like the rest of her family and indeed the majority of people in Gaza, is left without any form of employment. In her words, sleep is impossible when the mind is constantly buzzing with images of her hungry mother and siblings. One thing is for sure, hunger in Gaza is a pandemic spreading wilder than forest fire.

Maysoon was elated to hear the news about the poultry keeping business yet similarly perplexed, debating where to keep the birds and instantly worrying about feeding them. She was reassured that all technical and medical assistance will be at their disposal in addition to the chicken feed which will be provided for six consecutive months at the beginning of the project.

The poultry business instilled a sense of rejuvenated hope for the Queeder family, who now have the opportunity to be self-sufficient and finally generate the much needed income that will safeguard them from hunger and disease and ensure their overall-wellbeing.

This source of income will contribute towards the family’s medical expenses, food, and clothing and allow them to purchase basic commodities they were previously deprived from.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Behind images of war and poverty rests a reality unfathomable only by immediate experience. Even flamboyant words and images become superfluous at times, desensitizing many, if not most outside observers. With the end of each article and news briefing, most will return to the comfort of their mundane life, perhaps with a momentary sigh of relief, perhaps in an ephemeral state of despair. Eventually the majority of us tend to forget almost instantaneously.

Human Concern International’s firm belief that no innocent child, woman, or man should be the forgotten victims of such extreme poverty and devastation motivates us to pursue the most challenging yet most rewarding of tasks. HCI’s involvement in Gaza might not reach out to the whole of Gaza, but it aims to offer sustainable developmental solutions to as many families in need as is possible. We aspire to continue and expand our initiatives in hope that the good that is reaped will multiply and tip over the injustice of this status-quo.

This difficult image that we witnessed will soon be changing with these projects that were launched in partnership with several local long-time partners in Sudan, including Peace and Development Volunteers (PDV) and African Charity for Child and Mother Care (ACCSOM). One project will assist the rebuilding of Sudanese lives through micro credit, and provide access to finance programs for low-income Sudanese widows. The second project aims to unlock and unleash the economic potential of Sudan’s orphans that HCI has been sponsoring since 2003. Through the micro-credit initiative: 100 widows will receive loans for income generation and small businesses, 2 revolving loan programs will be established and will be operated by local communities, 2 local credit committees will be established at two targeted communities, and 16 people at two local credit committees will receive training in basic credit provision.

The second project’s objective is to assist orphans shift their mindset from being passive receivers of donations to active income generating entrepreneurs. Instead of being drawn into a passive cycle of receiving charity and relying on the kindness of others, 30 orphans will receive the training and materials necessary to embark on their own business ventures. They will also be given the opportunity to test their ideas under real-life circumstances, and take part in the “Business for a Day” program, in which they will operate a business for one day. An investment club, run by the orphans, will be set up. The club will be endowed with a trust fund, which will be invested towards implementing club activities. Thirty orphans, fourteen years of age and older, will take part in the first phase of the program.

The implementation of these two projects will provide the solid ground on which these widows and orphans can build their lives on, where the knowledge and the technical assistance will be provided by the project’s workshops and volunteer trainers and the revolving funds and loans will be in the hand of their own community to make use of, nurture and pass on to other needy members of their community to slowly but effectively reduce poverty levels within these two settlements.

Our field visits were not only to launch new projects, but to also follow up and connect with other local partners in these two settlements, where HCI has long been implementing relief and development projects that offer Sudanese orphans economic security through the child sponsorship program; where devastated, left out and marginalized orphans are given access to food, security and education throughout their sponsorship period. Our local partners took us to a library that HCI helped establish, where many of the sponsored children are able to have access to knowledge and information.

During the same visit, HCI and the Canada-based International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF) launched a new interesting initiative in Sudan, related to International Water & Sanitation (IWS) and targeted in the first phase at building the capacity of Canadian international institutions in this area of technical assistance. To have a better understanding of the situation, HCI will prepare a comprehensive country analytical report in partnership with HCI local partner, Peace and Development Volunteers (PDV). The result of the report should formulate the ground in which HCI and other Canadian based organizations can implement large-scale interventions in Sudan to ensure water sufficiency, and opportunities for related income generating activities. Projects like these are vital and have the potential to fundamentally change many lives, especially in impoverished settlements like these ones. HCI also witnessed the launching of a new civil society-public partnership for the provision of family-based health insurance that our partners are engaged in.

In the last part of our very dynamic and productive field visit, we also got the chance to visit the health clinic that was established with the help of HCI to serve the new settlements in northern Khartoum. The health clinic has outstandingly been operating autonomously, self sufficiently and effectively to serve the population with a professional team of health experts that are semi volunteering to cover the health needs of the area, from treating chronic illnesses to dental care. During our visit at the clinic, we came across a group of young boys in the process of being circumcised; our local partners explained the importance of having such traditional operations take place in a clinic by the hands of medical practitioners, instead of having them done the traditional way in an unsanitary environment that often yields harmful outcomes. Wandering around the clinic, we were content to see the staff operating professionally; taking care of the patients and maintaining the medical equipment to make sure that as many people as possible are able to benefit from it.

It was a busy week in the field in Sudan, but those few days have made us more confident after seeing the efforts of our local partners to sustain themselves and sustain project impacts and use all the available opportunities to help their communities. As the humanitarian situation in Sudan is deteriorating, HCI feels obliged to double the efforts to provide immediate relief to those who are in need, especially those that are most vulnerable; orphans and widows.