We went to Beita near Nablus and to Ramallah with Ghadra of ATTA services to see the distribution of school and hygiene kits. Both places are in the West Bank where we are not allowed to drive. ATTA picked us up from the Jerusalem Center in their van. Ghadra is a program coordinator for ATTA and gave her perspective in the comments below.
There are Israeli settlements at several places along the road to Nablus. The road we traveled is a good road because it is used by Israelis to reach their settlements. The roads to Palestinian towns and villages are generally not as good. The Israelis put money into infrastructure for their benefit but not for Palestinians.
Most Israeli settlers are from the United States. The Israelis post guards while a new settlement is built. A settlement refers to an Israeli town which is built in what is considered Palestinian territory. Palestinians object to the settlements and the confiscation of the land, but no one listens, including the media.
We passed through the Zaatrah checkpoint. It is in Palestinian territory and was one of the first Israeli checkpoints. It is in Palestinian territory because there are Israeli settlements in the area. There is sometimes a long wait to get through the checkpoint, which adds to the Palestinians' frustration.
Ghadra used to work in the Palestinian Authority government. There is a lot of corruption in the Palestinian Authority - people clocking in but not staying to work, for example. The Palestinian government officials are the 2nd highest paid in the world.
On the way to Nablus, we passed an upscale Palestinian town. Ghadra said the homes belong to very wealthy Palestinians from the United States and are used as second homes.
We visited with Beita Women Development Society. The president of the Society, Basim, is on Linda's right and Ghadra is on Linda's left.
Thirty-two women work in food preparation and distribution. Two or three are paid staff and the rest are volunteers. The pay is about $200 per month. Volunteers are the success of the society.
The women prepare and serve food to 10 elderly people in the village.
The women also sell food to raise money for the organization.
Palestinians are very giving. Linda accepted a bottle of olive oil they made. A Bethlehem University project provided a machine to sterilize bottles for olive oil.
The main building has offices, a large work room, and pre-school classrooms. The women feel it is best to send their young children to pre-school because the mothers are illiterate.
The smaller building has a kitchen and was funded locally. One of the ATTA's best projects was to furnish the kitchen and supply a washing machine so they can wash clothes for the elderly. Traditionally, communities are embarrassed of the elderly and hide them from the public.
The women packaged edible shell peanuts in the workroom of the main building. ATTA will support an organization for 2 years. The organization must be self-supporting after 2 years.
Beita is a very conservative Muslim community. When the society started, women would not allow pictures. Now they are very open. Some even shook my hand, which is taboo for practicing Muslim women. This project reminded us of a LDS Relief Society meeting.
The peanut shell burst in my mouth and tasted like I was eating peanut butter.
The women like to get together even if they are not working on a project.
They gave us an ornament, 2 figurines, 2 bottles of pickled olives, 2 large pitas, and edible shell peanuts. The gifts belong to the Jerusalem Center since we represent the Center.
One of the women was weaving a basket. I put my hand on her shoulder at one point, without remembering she wouldn't want a man to touch her. Ghadra said the women in the society have become very open - a few years ago it would not have been possible for me to touch her shoulder. I left my hand on her shoulder for a long time and it didn't phase her.
"Let's see, is this how you do it?"
We gave each of the women a hygiene kit. There are about 62 women who volunteer for the organization in an area of 12,000 people. Other projects include digging wells, raising chickens, selling eggs, establishing home gardens, raising bees, selling honey. They ask the wealthy to help with the support of the elderly.
We gave each of the pre-schoolers a school kit. Will a pre-schooler really use a school kit, we wondered? There are 4 classes for 82 children ages 4 - 6.
These are pre-schoolers, but the teachers in the public schools are on strike over pay. The children attend 2 periods and then are sent home. Mothers and fathers are illiterate and even though the mothers don't work, they send their children to this pre-school to learn.
They insisted we have lunch with them. It was delicious.Unfortunately, they have had to install security cameras. There is a lot of poverty which has led to theft.
We stopped in Ramallah to visit 4 elderly people ATTA helps. We gave each one a hygiene kit. Their living conditions are very bad. They were very happy to see Ghadra - we could tell she cared about them.
Hashim is a geriatric nurse and Manal is a social worker for ATTA.
Linda gave a hygiene kit to the wife who is bedridden...
... and Blaine gave a hygiene kit to the husband. He is the second husband. The children are well off and are willing to take their mother into their home but they are unwilling to care for her husband.
There is no door to their home. They live in the room upstairs. The kitchen is straight ahead.
The last visit was with a 105 year old woman. She was still sharp and lives independently.
We passed through the checkpoint and left the West Bank. The separation wall is on the right. This was a major road connecting Ramallah and Jerusalem before the separation wall was built. Now the wall runs down the center of the highway dividing it into Israeli and Palestinian sides.
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