AUTUMN 2008
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Dear Friends,

September is always the beginning of the new school year and one more step along the world we go. The children and their parents were rather disappointed that the move into the new school did not take place. Nevertheless, we are still hopeful that this will happen towards the end of October.

We were supposed to start the term with 25 children, but so far, we have only 23. Two of our children are still missing, and we are even unable to trace them. One of them is Abdullah, the unfortunate boy, whom I am sure some of you have heard his story; abandoned by his father, and has been so far in the care of an unreliable mother. She took him home towards the middle of July and we have not heard from her since. All efforts to reach her went in vain. We just pray and hope that the child is safe and unharmed.

Razan is the other girl who is still absent, whom we are also unable to reach, she may be ill or it may be that the family wanted her to spend the Holy month of Ramadan with the family.

 

Four New Comers

We have admitted this year a girl and three boys. Sundus and Mahmoud both clever five-year-olds, and come from the outskirts of Bethlehem. Fernando, a three-year-old cute intelligent and very active boy comes from Beit Jala. 'Amer, a four-year-old boy, totally blind and with severe learning difficulties, comes from Halhool, a village in the suburb of Hebron. His mother is a physician and takes great care of him. So far, she brings him in four days a week. All four have adjusted very nicely.

 

Mainstreaming

This term six of our eleven-year-old girls joined inclusive education in local schools near their homes, with the exception of Lara. Lara who is from Gaza, is the lucky one. Because of the prevailing conditions in that particular area, and the fact that she will not be able to benefit from our support, we have arranged for her to go to the Evangelical Lutheran School here in Beit Jala. She lives at Al-Shurooq and we are helping her with her studies. Two kind Scottish friends of ours have undertaken to cover Lara's school fees.

Shahd could have stayed also but her father insisted that she returns home and be with the rest of the family. Upon visiting her at her new school, Shahd was very content and well adjusted in a classroom of thirty students.

The six girls are doing well at their different schools. Al-Shurooq supplied them with Braille school textbooks, Perkins Braillers (Braille typewriters) and canes. They have all been visited by our social worker several times, and they have settled in nicely. As with all our children who have joined inclusive education, we continue to visit them regularly and keep them in constant touch with Al-Shurooq School. The girls’ singing is very much missed, they sang very well and filled the school with music.

Shahd Irfa’ieh joining inclusive education

 

Recruitment of Three New Staff Members

Two new teachers, Jihan and Shireen, have been appointed to substitute for Yvonne and Helen. We felt that it would be best if Yvonne was in charge of the boarding section when we move into the new building and Helen has limited herself to teaching four periods a week. The third staff member, Fida, was appointed as another part time social worker. Fida will be working very closely with Mariam, our social worker for twelve years now, who has received a doctorate degree in social sciences and will be teaching part time at one of the local universities.

 

New Building

It's the final countdown!! Saturday, November 29th, 2008 is the date set for the official inauguration. We are hoping the contractor will hand in the building by the end of October, which gives us enough time to move in and get things up and running. At the moment, work is being done on landscaping. We will have a nice garden and a beautiful playground for the children.

Landscaping

Library and Braille Book Production Unit

One of the busiest sections of our work recently is the Library and Book Production Unit. Despite the problems of getting the right kind of Braille paper and getting the printer to work properly, approximately five hundred Braille books and twelve Perkins Braillers have been given out on loan to blind and visually impaired school children.

We thank you all for your kindness, generosity and support, and we look forward to writing the next newsletter from the offices of our new premises.

 

 

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