“We Have Now Renewed our Hope in Life”
Othman’s desperate household situation has improved because of a gift of rabbits and training. He is the sole provider for a family of 14 in a crowded city whose residents face many restrictions, including travel, and where opportunities for employment are scarce. He’s somehow managed to find occasional jobs that have kept the family alive but struggling.
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and local partner Al Najd conduct interviews to identify at-risk families, including female-headed households, those with mentally or physically disabled members, those with many children or elderly, and who are otherwise unemployed or do not earn enough to cover basic needs.
When MCC and Al Najd learned of the family’s difficulties they invited Othman to join the rabbit project. He received training on the care and feeding of the animals and small-business basics. Al Najd staff then delivered a “rabbit unit” consisting of an enclosure with one male and four female animals and two sacks of feed. As the animals began reproducing, Othman’s family started including the meat in their weekly meals. Now they are raising enough animals to barter or sell for income or give to other relatives or neighbors in need.
Othman and his family are very thankful for the significant impact of the program’s support on their very existence, saying, “We have now renewed our hope in life.”
Thanks to Your Support and Generosity
- More than ten years into the blockade of Gaza and deteriorating living conditions, our partners continue to offer hope and practical solutions in the face of international funding cuts.
- Because Palestinian culture is built around community, the gift of rabbits also reaches beyond participant families and offers support to the greater community
Palestine Gaza Program
Led by Mennonite Central Committee and local partner Al Najd
6/19