Gaza’s Atfaluna School Leaves No Child Behind
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 MoreSulaima’s World: Supporting Women and Children in Palestine
Jul 6, 2017
Helping other women brings me the greatest satisfaction. As women, we don’t have the support we need in our society—especially working women and mothers. I always try to convey to women that their voices matter and that their development is in their own powerful hands. I get to help women through my job as a…
Read MoreTwice Displaced: Palestinian-Syrian Refugees in Gaza
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 MoreRamadan Pastries Fresh from Ola’s Oven
by Nik Nevin
Jun 19, 2017
Sambusek is a global treat originating in the Middle East. You may know of its cousins, the samosa and empanada. These crescent-shaped pastries can be stuffed with almost anything, but in Palestine they’re made with meat, cheese and zaatar. Recently I learned how to make them with the help of two Palestinian sisters, Ola and Alia. Ola is…
Read MoreClimate Change, From Paris to Palestinian Camps
Jun 12, 2017
Combating climate change is a global issue, yet we recently saw that not all countries are on board. Namely, only three: Syria, Nicaragua and the United States. The good news is that the Paris Climate Agreement shows how widespread environmentalism has become. All 175 other nations in the world signed on, vowing to protect the…
Read MoreMamdouh’s Story: How 10-Year Gaza Blockade has Devastated Fishermen
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 MoreRamadan Recipes from Jerusalem to Gaza City
Jun 5, 2017
To celebrate Ramadan this year, we asked our staff in the Middle East to share some of their favorite recipes. From salads to pastries, these dishes from Gaza and Jerusalem are sure to brighten up long days of fasting. Ramadan Kareem! Sabah’s Maqluba Maqluba is Arabic for “upside down.” It’s a fitting name for this rice dish,…
Read MoreRamadan Recipes from Nimeh’s Palestinian Kitchen
May 26, 2017
There is never a hungry stomach in Nimeh’s Kitchen. For my mother, it is not a necessity nor is it a duty to cook, it’s an art. She cooks, we devour – and together we enjoy a perfect time. To celebrate the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan, my mother decided to make…
Read MoreHow Your Solidarity Means the World to Refugees
May 23, 2017
Anera’s Hani Almadhoun reflects on celebrating Ramadan, from Gaza to Utah. I started fasting at the age of seven. As a little boy, it was exciting to see all of my family under one roof, elbowing each other, trying to get more of that popular dish before it ran out. Mom and Dad always made sure…
Read MoreRania’s Diary: Living Without Light in Gaza
by Rania Elhelo
May 10, 2017
Early this week, I took a day off to stay home. It wasn’t for family time, school meetings or having friends over for dinner. I simply took the day off to wash the piles of laundry that had amassed on my balcony. Sadly, people here cannot focus on anything but the Gaza electricity crisis, which…
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