Jun, 2009
With generous funding from USAID, Anera has done renovation work on numerous schools in the Bethlehem area.
Saint Joseph’s
The cistern used by Saint Joseph’s School to collect rainwater had bad leakage problems. As a result, the school suffered from annual water shortages.
With USAID funding Anera repaired the underground cistern and installed a water pump to bring water from the cistern up to new roof tanks, providing students with access to clean water during school hours.
“Imagine leaving almost 600 students and 31 staff members with no water, especially during summer time,” said Sister Lily Sayali, “We no longer fear water shortage. Now we know at least that we have clean water and can meet our hygiene needs.”
Shepherd’s High School
With USAID funding, Anera constructed an underground cistern with a capacity of 150 cubic meters at Shepard’s High School, located in Beit Sahour. The school has also been connected to the main sewage network.
Mr. George Sa’adeh, the school’s principal, is thrilled at the vital improvements made to the school. “We used to suffer from continuous lack of water all year round. Now we don’t have to worry.” He then added, “It is true that education is our main goal, but the health and well-being of our students are top priorities too.”
The Greek Catholic Patriarchate School
At the Greek Catholic Patriarchate School, located in Beit Sahour, Anera installed new water fountains, rehabilitated the toilet units, and added new sanitary facilities – all with USAID funding.
Sitting in the newly painted and renovated teachers’ room, German language teacher Aida Kokali said, “The project really made a difference. With the new clean classrooms I feel my students are able to focus more on what I teach them .”
Students pointed out that the changes have enriched the educational process at the school. In between classes, students can enjoy clean drinking water during breaks from class.
De La Salle High School
With USAID funding, Anera renovated De La Salle High School’s damaged sewage system, replaced the rainwater drainage system, and installed new drinking fountains and toilet units.
The renovations allowed for separate bathrooms for boys and girls. Tenth-grader Nadeen was delighted, “This is really vital…I remember not using the bathroom for hours because it was shared with the boys’ bathrooms.”
