Sawsan, with Peace Center for Heritage, helps Bedouin women earn money by providing material for them to do embroidery and make jewelry which she sells through her store in Bethany. Sawsan took us to 2 Bedouin villages where we visited the schools.
The first village was along the freeway, so our driver parked on the freeway and we climbed over the guard rail to walk into the village. We were met by the head master of the elementary school and some of the teachers. Linda taught some of the classes "a too a taw" and "head, shoulders, knees and toes". The schools were built by the men in the village. The first village is built with straw plastered with mud. The children painted artwork on some of the walls.
The second school was a 20 minute slow drive on a dirt road. The Village Leader met us in his jeep part way to escort us into the village. The teachers are all male. When Linda started teaching the songs, one of the teachers ran to get their only laptop (very small and old). He wanted to record her, but he couldn't get it set up - too slow. We have asked the Jerusalem Center about donating a laptop to the village when they do a replacement next year.
After we visited the school, the Village Leader invited us into his tent. We sat on the ground on rugs and pillows. He offered us coffee. I think we offended him when we turned it down. We explained it is a religious thing, and is not meant to offend. He said it is their culture to offer the guests coffee. This was difficult because we had to communicate through interpreters who spoke in broken English.
His village is "unrecognized", so the government wants to destroy the houses. He is resisting through the courts, according to Sawsan.
Before leaving, we noticed the village women sitting in the porch of one of their houses. We visited them, again by sitting on rugs and pillows on the ground. Some of them are being trained in nursing by Catholic nuns. We couldn't communicate verbally, but they were very welcoming and friendly.
In the first school, by the outside wall of one of the classrooms. The school principal is on the right, and Sawsan is between her and Linda. The other women on Linda's right spoke good English. The teachers are educated, good teachers and poorly paid. Sound familiar?
Inside one of the classrooms. Notice the girls and boys are in uniforms and all the children are well groomed. The chart on the wall lists the English alphabet.
This is the courtyard among several of the classroom and administrative buildings.
This is the playground. It is impolite to take pictures of their houses, but you can see some of the village in the background. As we walked into this village, many of the men were relaxing under an awning, near the freeway, waiting for the weekly shipment of food from the UN truck.
On the way to the second village, we passed the parking lot / bus depot. Some of the children live too far away to walk, so they ride a donkey to school.
At the second school, the Village Leader, in the center with the head scarf, had been told by the people at the first school that we were coming to visit him. Cell phones have revolutionized communication in places like this. As you can see, bamboo like material was used extensively in the construction of this school. Our driver Imed is on the right. We are not allowed to drive Jerusalem Center cars into the West Bank for these visits, so the Center hires a car and driver to take us.
Linda taught several classes "heads, shoulders, knees and toes, eyes, ears, mouth and nose".
All of the classrooms opened onto the central courtyard / playground. Notice how it is nicely landscaped and green in stark contrast to everything else around the school.
The West Bank is east of Jerusalem. Clouds drop their water between the Mediterranean and Jerusalem so the West Bank is arid. West Bank is the area west of the Jordan river and east of Jerusalem.
Playground equipment with landscaping all around..
If you look closely, you can see the goats coming off the mountainside. Notice how arid everything is.
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