Reem Abu Mghesibe, a mother of five children lives in the Gaza countryside village of Wadi Al Salqa, which has a population of 6,000 people, roughly 80% of whom rely on agricultural farming for food consumption. Due to the widespread poverty in Wadi Al Salqa, humanitarian deliveries of clothing from USAID and ARD’s Civic Engagement Program (CEP) provide many of the families' needed commodities.
In partnership with American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), USAID’s CEP recently completed the distribution of winter and school clothing in the Gaza Strip through a grant valued at approximately $750,000 which primarily targeted children between 6 to 8 years old, as they are most susceptible to cold weather illnesses. Mostafa Al Ghosein, distribution coordinator for ANERA, reiterated this concern by saying “this group of children is the most vulnerable to flu, cold and common winter illnesses. Because most of the children in poor villages don’t have heating in their homes, it makes a great deal of sense to choose this group of youngsters as recipients of the packets.” Distribution was carried out in the Gaza Strip through coordination with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Gaza Strip.
Three of Reem's children received packages of winter clothes from USAID. "These things are good to have ready for next year. Now I don’t have to worry about the coming winter as I do each year." Each of the packets contains a jacket, a pair of gloves, a wool hat, a pair of socks and a pair of thermal pants. Every item was manufactured in the West Bank in four factories, creating jobs for 150 women. “My children love their new things,” exclaimed Reem, as her young sons Wessam and Mohammad wore their new clothes and played happily around their grandmother as she baked bread in the mud stove behind their house.
With USAID/CEP’s completion of this grant, 47,758 Gaza children are better prepared for the approaching cold weather seasons. Likewise, this year, the parents of these children will not worry about affording winter clothing for their children and can instead use their limited funds towards other necessities for their families. |
