“Hello, my name is Chris. I remember the day I had the privilege of meeting Haneen and going to her village with Pastor Mitri Raheb and the Bright Stars of Bethlehem board. Haneen graciously gave us a tour of her village, Jubbet Ahd Dhib. At the time, the village was poor and also experiencing hard times.
The Israeli government had recently demolished the elementary school and taken the solar panels that provided energy to the village. (Through advocacy, the village has received the solar panels back again since then.) We visited the place where the solar panels had been previously installed, and the gasoline generator the village was using for its minimal electricity. We went to the newly rebuilt school, and Pastor Mitri translated for us as we learned about how the new school was sometimes attacked by settlers during the night. Then we sat with Haneen’s family as they talked with us about some of the challenges of the village. We were impressed with how the women in the Wahsh family had been the driving influence behind various improvements in the village.
As a young woman with a gift for painting, Haneen was a student at Dar al-Kalima in fine arts. This vocational path was countercultural to the people of the village, but Haneen persisted despite many challenges. She thought of creative ways to demonstrate the importance of art to her family and friends, like painting mural decorations in the children’s playground area. Haneen’s village is several kilometers away from the municipality of Bethlehem and Dar al-Kalima. To get to class, Haneen had to walk alone to reach a bus stop 4 kilometers away from home, because the family had no car. For a woman her age to walk this distance alone was counter-cultural. Finances were also a problem, as the village and her family did not have the means to finance her education.
Haneen demonstrated courage and determination in gaining her education, greatly assisted with the help of donor scholarship assistance.
Haneen showed us some of the lovely paintings she had done as a student. One of them, an abstract color and value study, really got our attention, demonstrating promise for her work in the future. Then, someone brought our group some freshly baked bread from the village Taboun, and as we shared this, we knew we were experiencing a holy moment of understanding between cultures. The visit made a deep impression on all of us. My husband Arnie and I are happy to be regular donors for Bright Stars of Bethlehem because we can assist students like Haneen, who are finding the support they need to pursue their dreams amid tremendous difficulties. Helping the younger generation of leaders in Palestine gives hope to the entire community."
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