Scavenging and Recycling in Lebanon: Ayman Provides for His Family
by Anera
Jan 10, 2018
Ayman is a scavenger in the Palestinian camp of Nahr El Bared in Lebanon. Twice a day he goes out and collects trash from people around his community and takes it to be recycled. His work not only keeps his neighborhood clean, but it provides him and his family a living and education for his…
Read MoreTop 17 Stories of 2017
by Anera
Dec 14, 2017
As we approach the new year, let’s take a look back at some of the top stories and blogs from 2017. These stories were chosen by you, our supporters, because of their popularity on social media. 17. Gaza Women Find Opportunity in Co-Op “Easy come, easy go,” says 21-year-old Shorouq. “But in Gaza, nothing comes…
Read MoreNagham Returns to School for the First Time Since Fleeing Syria
by Anera
Dec 1, 2017
Nagham lives with her family in a tent camp in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. Her family used to live in a nice home in Syria, where they lived a happy life under a proper roof. But since they fled the war as refugees and settled in Lebanon, Nagham has had to put her education…
Read MoreHow Music Therapy Helps Palestinian Children
by Anera
Nov 10, 2017
By Buran Saada, Anera teacher trainer and music therapist When I was only a school girl, I discovered my voice. My music teacher noticed that I could adapt to different music styles, so she picked me to sing in the school choir. In high school, I joined a band called Al-Awda, meaning “the return,” alluding…
Read More7 Ways Palestinians Are Celebrating Olive Harvest This Year
by Anera
Nov 2, 2017
As November begins, Palestine is in the midst of its olive harvest season, which began last month. That means that from Gaza to the West Bank, Palestinian farmers are heading to their trees to pick the ripe fruit, gather and sort it, and send it off to local presses to make staples like olive oil…
Read MoreVideo: Tapestry of Humanity
by Anera
Oct 25, 2017
What do people from different walks of life have in common? The farmer in Palestine, the teacher in a refugee camp, the precocious preschooler, the Gaza entrepreneur. In our film Tapestry of Humanity, we visit unique individuals who show us that we all have one thing in common, regardless of where we come from: our…
Read MoreSyrian Refugees Receive School and Hygiene Kits
by Anera
Aug 4, 2017
In Lebanon, half of all Syrian children do not go to school. For refugee youth like Nour and Ali, school is largely inaccessible due to the cost. Now they’re getting a chance to enroll in our non-formal education courses with donated school and hygiene kits, provided by UMCOR and delivered by Anera. The kits give…
Read MoreGaza’s Atfaluna School Leaves No Child Behind
by Anera
Jul 24, 2017
As a group of children sit around a library table in Gaza City, the librarian starts to tell a story. “When the olive harvest season finally arrived…” “I was excited to start picking the olives,” adds one of the children. The story continues from child to child. When it’s over, they put it together and…
Read MoreTwice Displaced: Palestinian-Syrian Refugees in Gaza
by Anera
Jun 20, 2017
For World Refugee Day, our team visited one of the 250 families who fled the Syrian war to find refuge in the most unlikely of places—Gaza. Suad and Mahmoud had a stable and comfortable life before the war. As Syrians of Palestinian descent, they are “twice displaced” and have now found themselves in Gaza. There,…
Read MoreMamdouh’s Story: How 10-Year Gaza Blockade has Devastated Fishermen
by Anera
Jun 7, 2017
June marks the somber 10th anniversary of the Gaza blockade. The past decade has crippled Gaza’s economy and standard of living. The fishermen who populate the enclave’s shoreline have been some of the most deeply affected by the blockade. While Gaza’s fishermen used to be able to make a living off the sea, many like…
Read More