PALESTINE CHILDREN'S RELIEF FUND

Women's Empowerment Project
Providing Poor Families With Economic Independence

In 2001, the PCRF launched a new project to provide start-up econonic grants to poor mothers of large families in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Since the Al-Aqsa Intifada erupted, the stardard of living and income for large poor familes in Palestine has gotten even worse. No one is hit harder by the Israeli siege and war on the Palestinian people than single-mother families with small children. The PCRF has responded to this crisis by providing grants to women, enabling them to begin small businesses or economic efforts that will provide them with continued income and will help them to feed and better take care of their children. In 2002, the PCRF has continued its success with the Women's Empowerment Project and has extended its reach to poor refugee families in Lebanon. The PCRF plans to continue this effort by identifying, interviewing, and supporting many more women in Palestine seeking a chance to support and take care of their children by working for themselves. If you are interested sponsoring a family through the PCRF's Women's Empowerment Project, please email our main office at ThePCRF@aol.com.

Read a Note from a Women's Empowerment Project Sponsor: "Why I Became a Sponsor" by Sonia Nettnin

The PCRF's Women's Empowerment Project Helps More Families in Lebanon
In August 2003, the PCRF helped launch two new Women's Empowerment Projects in Lebanon. The two projects are based in Borj Barajneh Camp(Beirut) and EinElHelwi (Saida) and will give 35 women an opportunity to create income through various sewing projects such as making dresses, scarves, jackets, and embroidery. Many of these items are now available to buy from the PCRF website. >>>See list of women and bios

Women's Project's in Gaza

Amal Baraka Najjar: Amal lives with her husband and 5 children in Magazi refugee camp in Gaza. The family's income was halted after her husband was injured and was no longer able to work to earn money for the family. Through the PCRF's Women's Empowerment Project, Amal was able to start a small copier sevice in her home. Now people from the local schools and universities come to her to make copies for their studies. Due to the low cost of expenses for this project, Amal is able use most of the money she makes to feed and clothe her children.

Rahma Abo Leila: Rahma is one of 10 family members (8 children) that live together in her two bedroom home in Gaza. Her family is one of the many Palestinian families that have been hit hard by the declining economic situation steming from the Occupation. Rahma's husband had been unable to find work as a painter for over a year, forcing the family to seek handouts from local charities. In January 2002, the PCRF provided Rahma an opportunity to help her family through the Women's Empowerment Project. Rahma now has a small business in her home where she buys, freezes, and sells meat and fish to the local community. Rahma's project has been doing well and has given her the opportunity to provide her family with the food and clothing they need.

Nadwa Metkal: Nadwa lives with her two children in Naher El-Bared Refugee Camp in Lebanon. The economic situation had been so difficult for the family that their home only had a few pieces of furniture. This was mainly due to the fact that Nadwa's husband is handicapped and has been unable to work for over 15 years. Things became even more difficult for Nadwa and her family when her husband was later forced to be hospitalized. The PCRF decided to help Nadwa by giving her the opportunity to open a spice shop in her home. The spice shop is doing well and has provided Nadwa and her family the economic support that they needed.

Complete Women's Empowerment List

Name	Age	Residence	Marital Status	No. of Children	Project
Fadwa Abu Rabea	38	Tufah	Widowed	5	Sewing
Amera Abed	33	Zaitoon	Widowed	7	Sewing
Amna Wakad	38	Jalaa	Widowed	7	Sewing
Suhair Yassein	25	Zaitoon	Widowed	4	Sewing
Amal Baraka Najjar	37	Magazi Camp	Married	5	Copy Machine
Karema Jameel El Tantawi	36	Deir El Balah	Married	7	Cut Machine
Miassar Mahmoud El Saidi	41	Magazi Camp	Widowed	3	Computer
Safia Awad El Bogdadi	51	Al Buridge Camp	Widowed	8	Grocery
Yosra Ashor	42	Rafah	Married	9	Rabbit Farm
Rahma abo Leilah	35	Rafa	Married	8	Freezing Meat/Fish
Samera Afana	45	Rafa	Divorced	1	Wool Machine
Ahlam Kasoha	31	Rafah	Divorced	4	Wool Machine
Salimeh El-Saeed	37	Rashdiya Camp, Lebanon	Widowed	6	Clothes Shop
Nadwa Metkal	34	Naher El-Bared Camp, Lebanon	Married	2	Spices Shop
Fathiya Khashan	41	BorjBarajneh Camp/ Beirut	Widowed	3	Lingerie Shop