We visited 3 humanitarian sites in Galilee, about a 2 hour drive from Jerusalem.
On Sunday, we visited El Hawakeer. Alaa took us to a school in Nazareth which is in the lower 20th socio-economic percentile, but scores above the averages on standardized tests. They focus on what each individual needs rather than teaching everyone the same things and the same way. They involve parents at the school and teach cooperation among students. The school was an older building but clean, and seemed like a palace compared to the Bedouin schools we visited two days later in Bethany.
On Monday, we visited YMCA in Tiberias. We delivered school and hygiene kits which they distribute to families. Eddie is a brother to Tarek, who is director of safety at the Jerusalem Center.
Eddie rode with us to Nazareth where we visited Al Manarah. Al Manarah is an association for disabled and was started by Abass in 2005. Abass is visually impaired. When he was 18, he needed to get a certification of his condition for the government and needed a doctor's interview as part of the process. Abbas told the doctor about his goals. The doctor replied that he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything because of his impairment. Ten years later, after getting 2 masters degrees and starting Al Manarah, he visited the doctor and related his accomplishments. The doctor apologized and now donates time at Al Manarah. One of their projects is putting books that have been translated into Arabic onto a smart phone app which they developed. They taped Linda in their studio while we were there.
In the principal's office with Alaa and Chaz.
The courtyard in front of the school.
Lining up in the playground in the rear of the school.
They teach students to connect to the land. The students take care of the school landscape which promotes a feeling of self worth and accomplishment.
Linda taught the students "a too a taa". Once a 3rd grade teacher, always a 3rd grade teacher.
Library
Faculty room
Looking south over Nazareth.
At the home of the agricultural consultant for Al Manarah. He has a 3 story home and a small yard in back with fruit and nut trees, herbs, berries, vegetables.
We sat on his patio where they served us fresh squeezed lemon juice, tangelo, dates, sweets, and nuts. I believe Linda thought the tangelo was a little sour.
Looking at the home from the hakura - backyard garden area. They build their houses up instead of out because it is difficult for Palestinians to get land.
This is the view from the balcony and the chapel at the branch house, overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Golan Heights are the mountains in the background.
The same shot, but at night with the moon rising over the Sea of Galilee.
At Al Manarah, Linda recorded a message in their studio where they record audio books in Arabic for a smart phone app.
Jay and Dawn Fox are the BYU volunteers who live at the Branch House, in the background.
This is the chapel inside the Branch House. The balcony overlooking the Sea of Galilee is in the background. Notice the 4 places to post music on the wall just beyond Linda's head - they sing in Russian, Spanish, and English. They would also sing in Hebrew, but no LDS hymns have been approved for Hebrew translation.
Two solar panels on the roof of the Branch House heat the water for the building.
Chaz Morse is a fund raiser and Abass, next to Linda, started Al Manarah. The instrument is an Oud used for music therapy. To describe how we discriminate without thinking, he told of a disabled woman who went to a hair dresser and took her 10 year old daughter. The hair dresser asked the daughter how her mother wanted her hair done, rather than speaking directly to the mother.
Eddie at YMCA distributes our school and hygiene kits to families who can use them. We are in the dining room of the YMCA in Tiberias. It is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, just below the Branch House.
No comments:
Post a Comment