Gardens, Goats, and More: Climate Action Palestine

Thank you so much for enabling 32 families in Gaza to tread the path of sustenance by raising livestock and starting gardens. Your support has provided these families with the resources they badly needed. 

You’d be happy to know that these families have been doing very well since the last report. Today, I’d like to share updates on a project beneficiary, Rania. Because of donors like you, Rania started growing her produce and a few animals. With the help of Kareem, who works for the Women Programs Center–Rebuilding Alliance’s partner CBO in Gaza, we checked on Rania to see how she’s doing. 

“Thank you for your kind support. Because of you, I have my garden and I plant and harvest it regularly. I have planted olive trees in it! Soon I'm going to plant other vegetables–parsley, green pepper, eggplant, and arugula. 

My goal is to grow enough produce for my family, and also for others, especially many needy families in my neighborhood. 

Thanks to you, I also have one goat and two kids, and my lovely chickens who provide us with eggs daily. My children love taking care of the animals, feeding and playing with them.”

Rania is one of many examples of how this project is having a tremendous and positive impact on the lives of the beneficiaries!

As the weather begins to get colder, these families must brace themselves for the upcoming winter months. The cold weather can be very hazardous for animals, as they often lack the proper environment and tools to stay warm and safe. Rania is concerned about the upcoming winter.

“I keep thinking about how I will protect these animals from the cold weather. Winter is coming soon and I must have a proper place for the goats and the chickens like a small barn that is covered and secured with iron wire. I am afraid to lose any of my animals due to the cold. I can't afford to buy the materials to take necessary measures.”

Please help these families ensure that their animals make it safely through the winter! 

I’m also sharing a few pictures of Shireen and her rabbits. Shireen has been successfully raising rabbits. A picture of Rania’s current set up for her animals is also attached.

Your support is greatly appreciated. With your help, this project can be expanded and more families can benefit from similar ventures.

Dear Friend,

Your support has made it possible to cultivate a remarkable group of beneficiaries! I am very excited to share some updates. As you know, this program was created to help Palestinian families meet some of their own basic food needs with tools and resources provided by RA and our partners. 

Ahmed and his family of five live in Rafah, Gaza.

• He works diligently to grow herbs, mainly parsley and mint, which he sells to support his family
  
  
• Back in early February, Ahmed had a pregnant goat who gave birth to a healthy kid. Ahmed has a lot of experience raising animals and was super excited to tend to this little guy. Unfortunately, the mother goat passed away shortly after giving birth
  
  
• The good news is that the kid surviced and through this project, we were able to provide Ahmed with a new adult female or “nanny” goat! 

Our team spoke to Ahmed when they delivered his new goat. "I was so sad when my first goat died. I felt so bad about this, but I was extremely happy when I saw you coming to my house with the new goat; now I have a goat, a kid, and two sheep. Thank you so much!"

This past March, some of the families requested more fodder (dried hay) to help feed their animals. Fodder prices increased significantly since the invasion of Ukraine  in February creating a very real crisis in Gaza. Fortunately we were able to supply three months' worth of fodder for our beneficiaries!

It is challenging to obtain any consistent work in Gaza, so this practice of growing and selling herbs, vegetables, milk, eggs, cheese and meat creates income to help support these families. Being able to provide for the animals is a massive part of the success of this program that will generate more revenue and secure a sustainable future for these families.

Here is an update on Shireen, a mother whose story we've shared in the past. She was raising rabbits to help support her family but sadly needed to sell all of them. She was devastated, and we were able to step in back in December to get her new rabbits. Now more fodder helps feed her animals so that she could continue her small business. Thankfully, Shireen has been very successful with raising her rabbits! She breeds them on schedule and then sells them. When we asked Shireen about her experience with this project, she said, "I'm living my dream now. Raising rabbits and goats is one of my favorite things to do. I have excellent experience raising rabbits, and I like watching the babies grow up every day. I feel so lucky to be one of the beneficiaries."

Thanks to your generous donations, all four of our Palestinian NGO project partners have been able to provide food and livestock for at total of 32 families!  

We want to double our number of beneficiaries in Gaza in the year ahead and continue to provide critical inputs like fodder or barn improvements, so please spread the word so this important project can grow.  We appreciate your continued support!

Links:

• Instagram Video of Ahmed
• Instagram Video of Fodder Delivery