Life in Lebanon is difficult for most people the economic free fall, COVID-19, and the conflict next door in Syria. Palestinian and Syrian refugees live 88 percent below “minimal survival conditions,” according to a UN representative. Many families are food insecure with both petrol and food prices soaring and out of reach for most placing…
This Ramadan the need was great and our efforts together have made the difference in the lives of thousands of children and their loved ones. Ferial is a widow caring for 8 members of her family. At 69 years of age, her health is deteriorating, in addition to suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since the…
Seventy percent of the workforce in rural areas of Gaza is performed by women as laborers. Many of these women will do most anything to feed their families, earning sometimes as little as $1 a day. Working with our partner the Palestine Environmental Friends (PEF), KinderUSA funded through generous donors the Women Empowerment through farming…
Once again, Muslim and Christian worshippers have been attacked during the sacred days of Easter and Ramadan. Acts of provocation designed to instigate further conflict require Palestinians to exercise restraint as they do their best to observe the holiday rituals. Our work during the month of Ramadan attempts to ease the suffering so many families…
In May 2021, a devastating assault on Gaza, as Ramadan was coming to a close, left 261 Palestinians dead, one third of whom were children, many of whom were members of the same family. Hundreds more were injured and tens of thousands displaced. This is the story of Zahraa and her family who lived in…
In Palestine, KinderUSA’s primary mission is to provide an environment of safety and the nurturing of good health in children living under such brutal conditions. Providing all children the chance to live with dignity, good health, education, and shelter should be the mission of all. Subjected to one of the longest blockades in human history,…
In Palestine, similar to all other nations, education plays a fundamental and crucial role in fostering social and political change. Creative and innovative approaches to education are a means to mobilize disenfranchised members and groups of society towards better wellbeing and better futures. Central to this view is that teaching and learning should enable critical…
One of our families who benefited from our emergency food distribution, Ramzi, cares for 9 family members and must use a wheelchair to get around. His oldest son has been diagnosed with kidney failure bringing more economic hardship to the family. Ramzi, always smiling, does what he can to provide for his family getting by…
The world has been living through a pandemic for more than a year now, and most of us have found ways to cope. We’re lucky: services like Amazon and DoorDash deliver necessities straight to our homes, and our healthcare professionals work round-the-clock to keep us safe. In the war-torn occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), however, millions…
Lebanon has fallen into an economic and financial collapse which the World Bank describes as one of the top three global crises since the mid 20th century. The Central Bank has cut subsidies, further disrupting the livelihoods of Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian residents who suffer from the fallout. Long queues for fuel are a current fixture, with essential…
“More than half of families report that their child has had to skip meals, and hundreds of thousands of children are out of school,” according to an UN expert. “If the situation does not improve immediately, an entire generation of children will be sacrificed.”
For 8 year old El Soloh who lives with his family of 5 siblings in Bourj el-Barajneh Camp in the suburbs of Beirut, a life of poverty has affected every aspect of their living conditions. His father used to work as a taxi driver but once fuel prices soared, he could no longer afford to drive and returned his rented vehicle leaving him unemployed for over a year.
Recipients of the Ramadan food distribution, El Soloh’s family found the pleasure they once knew around the iftar (breaking of fast) table. “Soloh and his siblings reminisced back to a time when their father would come home and discuss the days work, with their mother preparing a nutritious meal,” said Loubane Tay Executive Director of FingerPrint of Change, KinderUSA implementing partner. “KinderUSA not only secured a much-needed meal but also quality time during the holy month of Ramadan within the hard conditions Palestinians face in Lebanon,” Loubane continued. ”
Mariam, a mother of 8, lives in Khan Younis. Without an education and a family to feed, Mariam was thrilled to be chosen as a beneficiary of the farming project. Producing zucchini and other vegetables for sale in the open market, the family works together securing their livelihood.
“This helped me a lot to cover my family expenses and needs and to provide my children with food, clothes, toys and to allow them to access health services and complete their education”.
Haneen also lives in the Khuza’ area of Khan Younis supporting a family of 5 with no source of income. She applied for the farming project hoping to be selected after attending an introductory workshop.
“I felt extremely happy once my name was announced and I was selected as a beneficiary in this project!”Receiving all the necessary tools and training, Haneen farms zucchini and other vegetables in addition to Kohlrabi, rarely seen in Gazan farms.
“Everyone was surprised by this strange plant in the area, which I consider as an (integrated pharmacy) on its own, for all of its health benefits. I’m really thankful for KinderUSA and PEF who supported me to make this success possible!“, Haneen concluded.
Prior to the attack, Zahraa supported a family of 10 through the training and supplies she had received from KinderUSA’s chicken farming project. Her husband is unable to work as he suffers from injuries during the 2014 war. Zahraa’s story was one of success. She was able to provide for her family through chicken breeding, meeting all the financial, medical, and nutritional needs of her household. Sadly, Zahraa’s home and business were reduced to rubble along with their entire neighborhood.
Today the family is homeless, surviving as a result of the generosity and kindness of Zahraa’s brother in-law and his family. They live together in a small house not big enough to hold them all. They have lost everything. A recipient of KinderUSA’s emergency food distribution in 2021, they will join 2500 other families this coming Ramadan in April, receiving fresh food delivered twice during the month.
As we seek the blessings of another Ramadan, all of us at KinderUSA are praying for the families in Palestine and beyond to find peace in a world riddled with hostility and frightening uncertainty. While the world watches and responds to another refugee crisis, we are once again reminded that the people of Gaza have nowhere to go, relying on their own resilience and steadfastness.
Let’s remember our common humanity and let our Palestinian brothers and sisters know they are not forgotten while the world’s attention is drawn elsewhere.
The kind of education that facilitates critical thinking and independent, self-directive learning is simply not available to the vast majority of the Palestinian population. Our partner in Bethlehem, Ibtikar, has developed a program, Creativity and Innovation in Education, which recruited 20 teachers and 2 community based organizations that work directly with 85 students each round, preparing them for real world careers and challenges while equipping them with 21st century skills with a special focus on creative thinking and entrepreneurship. “Students are anxious and excited each day they participate”, said Sulaima Ramadan, Executive Director Ibtikar.
Our work is only possible with your continued support. Donate anything you can to keep hope alive for our people.
One of our families who benefited from our emergency food distribution, Ramzi, cares for 9 family members and must use a wheelchair to get around. His oldest son has been diagnosed with kidney failure bringing more economic hardship to the family. Ramzi, always smiling, does what he can to provide for his family getting by on $145 a month for food and medicines. Making matters worse, after the assault on Gaza in May, their home was decimated and they now live in an UNRWA shelter with his family. “I remain grateful to all who provided for my family during these most difficult times. Thank you!”
Lebanon has fallen into an economic and financial collapse which the World Bank describes as one of the top three global crises since the mid 20th century. The Central Bank has cut subsidies, further disrupting the livelihoods of Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian residents who suffer from the fallout. Long queues for fuel are a current fixture, with essential public services primarily non-existent.
Currently, families lack water and electricity for lighting, generators are considered a luxury, and fuel is scarce, with the cost steadily increasing. Daily blackouts are a norm, with residents experiencing up to 22 hours a day without electricity, limiting shop owners from offering dairy products in their stores. The amount of food available for children in their homes is insufficient, and many families experience hunger and severe food insecurity. Over four million people, including one million refugees, are at grave risk of losing drinkable water.
Prices continue to rise to unattainable levels for the most basic necessities. A bag of bread can cost a months’ wages for some residents. As of June, nearly 80% of the population lacks sufficient funding to purchase food, which directly impacts children, causing them to miss meals and go to bed hungry.
Our Relief Efforts in Action
KinderUSA and its implementing partner on the ground, FingerPrint of Change, are focusing on providing immediate relief and have started distributing food to areas surrounding Beirut, Bekaa Valley, the South, and Palestinian camps and surrounding informal settlements.
At this time, women are preparing freshly cooked, nutritious meals containing rice, chicken or beef, vegetables, yogurt, bread, and fruit to 670 families in need. These same women will prepare “mouneh,” following a Lebanese tradition of preserving foods that require no refrigeration or further preparation. Families will also receive dry rice, lentils, and canned meat to carry them through the winter months. All items necessary for this project will be purchased in the local distribution markets to support the region. The youth living in the North and South camps will be paid a stipend to distribute the food.
KinderUSA
stresses the urgency of humanitarian support to prevent the needless and unforeseen suffering of children going forward. Lebanon is in a freefall, and families are on the brink of hunger.
“One of the beneficiaries felt relieved because for today, he no longer had to think about how to secure a meal for his children, and a woman in Sabra Camp began to cry when she saw us coming with food saying she almost forgot the taste of fruit,” said Loubane Tay Executive Director of FingerPrint of Change.
How You Can Make an Impact, Today:
As little as $25 a month for a family of four or more, less than a dollar a day, your donation will carry these families through this challenging period in Lebanon.
You can join the effort to extend our reach by donating today. Your support means so much to those in need, so please give whatever is meaningful to you. Thank you.
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