Palestine is always close to my heart even if I’m far away
by Zeina Azzam
Jan 31, 2018
When I was a teenager, my father planted a fig tree in our backyard. Each morning he would go out to his garden, his small bustan, to check on his shajarat teen. This was in New York. As you might expect, the poor tree struggled to survive through cold winters and short summers. Yet my father…
Read MoreFive for Fifty
Jan 24, 2018
Anera Commemorates our 50th Anniversary with Five Different Series In 1968, Anera started its work delivering humanitarian relief to refugees from the Arab-Israeli War of 1967. Thousands of Palestinians were left homeless and impoverished and a small group of concerned Americans began working to provide immediate assistance to those in need. 50 years later, Anera…
Read MoreScavenging and Recycling in Lebanon: Ayman Provides for His Family
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 MoreTo Help Refugees, Help the Whole Community
by Sean Carroll
Dec 21, 2017
On a recent trip to Lebanon, my first to the region as the new head of Anera, I met with a group of youth. Two were Syrian refugees, one a Palestinian refugee from Syria (a refugee twice over), one a Palestinian refugee who’s grown up in Lebanon, and one a Lebanese. Though their stories and…
Read MoreTop 17 Stories of 2017
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
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 More10 Reasons to #GiveHope this Giving Tuesday
Nov 21, 2017
When you donate to Anera this Giving Tuesday, your gift will be matched up to $10,000. Below, we list 10 more reasons to #givehope to refugees and vulnerable communities. 1. Refugees need help more than ever While some countries are closing their doors to refugees, others are spread thin trying to accommodate the millions of…
Read MoreHow Music Therapy Helps Palestinian Children
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 MoreHow Palestinian Farmers Cherish an Ancient Tradition
by Nada Dajani
Nov 3, 2017
In our Jerusalem office, we all know it’s olive harvest season when our colleague Ma’moun, our maintenance officer, takes an entire week off. Last week, he returned after a week off with a great feeling of fulfillment. He had turned a batch of ripe olives into luscious olive oil. Farmers across Palestine feel the same…
Read More7 Ways Palestinians Are Celebrating Olive Harvest This Year
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 More