In December Israel bombed and torched the building of the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children in Gaza City, one of MECA’s long-time partners. About sixteen soldiers posed for a photo in front of the burning building as if they were a group of proud graduates in front of their high school. They shared the photo on social media. (We won’t share it here.)
Atfaluna’s Inclusive Community Kitchen employs 17 people with hearing disabilities and serves hot meals for more than 1,000 people a day in the Gaza Strip.
Please support this critical work by making a special contribution now.
While the building is gone, the Atfaluna staff, volunteers, students, and alumni have not stopped working. With MECA’s support, Atfaluna is hiring deaf and hard of hearing people to prepare hot meals for displaced families in central Gaza.
As soon as the kitchen was up and running, they hired Naela (pictured below) as one of the chefs and recently shared her story with MECA:
After graduating from the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children’s culinary arts training program, Naela was able to establish a small food catering project that provided her with a source of income and a sense of pride in her work.
However, because of the war in Gaza, Naela was forced to flee her home and abandon her business. But she remained determined to find a way to support herself and contribute to her community.
That’s when she was hired at Atfaluna’s Inclusive Community Kitchen. The kitchen not only provides Naela with a steady income, but also allows her to use her culinary skills to help others in need.
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“It is important to create jobs for people with disabilities during these difficult times,” Naela says. “I am happy that I have a source of income that can help me manage my life in dignity.”
Atfaluna’s kitchen employs 17 deaf and hard of hearing people and serves hot meals for more than 1,000 people a day in Gaza.
Naela and her colleagues are able to support themselves financially and demonstrate the importance of including people with disabilities in emergency response efforts.
People with disabilities in Gaza are especially vulnerable now. They also have important contributions to make to their communities. With your support, the Atfaluna Inclusive Community Kitchen will continue to employ and feed many more people.
Please send the most generous contribution you can now so MECA can continue to support this and other critical projects for children and families in Gaza.
In solidarity,
All of us at MECA
P.S. Your donation will provide more hot meals and Atfaluna’s other critical work like speech therapy for traumatized children, psychological and social support for adolescent girls, joyful games and arts activities, and more for the disability community and others. Please give what you can today.
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Over 32,000 Palestinian people have been killed by the Israeli military and over 2 million Palestinian people trapped in Gaza under the heaviest bombardment yet. WE ARE WITNESSING GENOCIDE.
We are not helpless in this moment. We need everyone to TAKE ACTION.
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The people of Gaza have a number one demand: KEEP UP THE PRESSURE & CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE NOW. Use your power and influence to hold our U.S. government accountable.
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Middle East Children’s Alliance
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