projects
Aboud Housing: By Fr. Firas Aridah
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Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
P.O.Box: 14152, Jerusalem, Israel 91141
E-mail: Aridah11@hotmail.com, Aridah11@gmail.com
Aboud Housing Project
Empowering the Christians
A Hope for a Better Future
Prepared and Submitted by
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
December 2008
Introduction on Aboud:
Location: Aboud is a village in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate in the central West Bank, about 22 kilometers northwest of Ramallah and 30 kilometers north of Jerusalem.
Population: It is one of the larger Villages with significant Christian populations in the West Bank. The village has a population of approximately 1970 from which 870 are Christians.
The Wall
The Israeli West Bank barrier is being built adjacent to the village, on lands belonging to it. Since November 18, 2005, weekly demonstrations against the Wall have been held in the village. Participants in the demonstrations, which take place on Fridays, include residents of the village and activists from foreign countries.
Employment: The unemployment rate is high. Among the employed, many are underemployed. Only a small percentage of the people have full-time, regularly paid employment.
Residents are educated and literate, many of them had finished their school but still the majority of Aboud citizens are unskilled. Employment opportunities for non-educated people can be summarized as the following:
- The agricultural sector, primarily at planting and harvest times.
- Raising animals and building farms, barns could be found everywhere.
- Labors at sewing factories.
- Ruining stores either in town or along the main road.
- craftsmen by all means
On the other hand educated people are known to be found representing many fields such as Doctors, engineers, nurses, teachers…etc
Economy: Aboud is easily classified as a poor village. Further, the economy is becoming even worse. Government employees (like teachers, doctors, nurses, even retired pensioners) do not receive their salaries sometimes. Their jobs are at risk and some people cannot afford paying for their children’s tuition, for food and for basic needs. In the last couple of years, some families have left Aboud to seek better future elsewhere. Basically, the local economy is slowly being strangled.
Project Description
There are 207 Christian families living in Aboud. Currently, 55 young couples are planning to get married but the major struggle for them is finding a place to live. Some of them began building their homes but found them trapped because they cannot afford completing what they have started. Others do not own any land to build on as the rest are forced to live under the pressure of rents. Currently, there are no houses for rent in Aboud, so people from the village have started to move to Ramallah and some have chosen to immigrate to the United States. Since the second intifada 35 families moved out of Aboud.
People from the parish of Aboud live together in peace. They are like a big family; they gather frequently in the church, at home, in the street, in Christmas, in Easter as they help each other in many activities such as picking olives…etc. That is why it is very unfortunate to let this community fall apart. Since 1911 the church in Aboud has been giving every available service to the Christians in Aboud to help them be the salt of the HolyLand.
Statement of Need: Why is this project Necessary?
-The first and foremost aim of the Patriarchate is to support the Christians of the Holy Land in every possible way to prevent them from immigrating. The number of Christians in the Holy Land is continuously declining and we fear that a day will come when the Christians would seize to exist in the Holy Land and Churches would be turned into museums. Therefore, by giving 86 families a shelter we can at least secure that a large number of them will stay in the Holy land.
- Owning real estate has proven to be the most effective. When people have a secure place to live, where they can raise a family, their worries about daily life become easier to accommodate; the security of owning a home is of paramount importance and is a major deterrent to emigration.
- Property is power; it is very critical for self esteem and social position of the Christians. As Christians leave the Holy Land, they might find a house and land elsewhere, but they can never find a “Holy Land” and they end up losing their roots.
- Aboud is one of the larger Villages with significant Christian populations in the West Bank. The Christians in this village have proven to be very attached to their roots; hence, it is our responsibility to reach out for these people and give them the support they need in order for them to stay in their homeland and preserve the Christians’ presence.
Conclusion
The Latin Patriarchate finds itself responsible to be the voice of the voiceless. Therefore, we call all the people of faith to remember their brothers and sisters in the Holy Land. Despite the prolonged complicated circumstances, maintaining the Christian Presence in the Holy Land is highly essential to the Latin Patriarchate as well as the Universal Church. We are working day and night to help the Christians survive with dignity and we hope that by your help and through our determination we will stop and limit the effect of this problem. The Latin Patriarchate is keen on the safety and growth of the Christian Community in the Holy Land, as a strong Christian presence is the most effective way to keep our holy places and churches as vibrant living examples of a faith that has consistently been passed on from one generation to the other for over 2000 years.
The Christians of the Holy Land have been very fortunate to be born and raised in the very spot where Christ himself has chosen to be. In the day-to-day humdrum, they tend to forget this blessing, but they should never forget the duty that they inherited from our ancestors. These people from the small village of Aboud are eager for your assistance because circumstances have weakened them.
Fighting for survival and the well-being of the family is a universal duty. However, forced to put up with a permanent struggle against segregation and the temptation of emigration; the Christians of the Holy Land are getting short of breath. We are humbly asking for your helping hand to assist us in rising above the rubble. We would be thankful to God almighty in finding in you the people who will bind our wounds.
The Latin Patriarchate is aware of the needs of the Christians in the Holy Land and we ask you to help us fulfill our mission by supporting us in any way possible to secure a better future for the Christians of the Holy Land. We need your push in the form of grants ensure the continued existence of the Christian community in the cradle of Christianity. Any contribution from your side will be highly appreciated. Please note that you can choose to help in any way or in any field.
Aboud Latin Church expandinhg project by Maher Nino
