IDRF is proud of our beneficiaries in Gaza, who worked enthusiastically as participants in IDRF's 'Food Security' project and made this a wonderfully successful project.

The project in Gaza aimed at improving the living conditions of families who were especially vulnerable, in three villages of Mughraqa, Sheikh Ajleen and Zeitun. With the objective of promoting self-sustainability, the rural families were provided a comprehensive package of material resources, including livestock, and given access to training to enable them to start up and sustain a home farm. 84 women are the direct beneficiaries of the program which in turn means that 84 families have benefitted including 302 children.

The focus of the project was to assist families headed by females, who were caring for at least 5 other household members, all of whom had no other sources of income. And the results have been very gratifying.

Mrs Lila Saed (from Al-Mughraqa village), is a typical beneficiary. She is responsible for a family of 8 in addition to her unemployed husband who suffers from psychological trauma. Lila Saed was provided livestock and attended a training course on best practice management techniques for producing plants and taking care of animals. Her home garden began to generate products soon after and with that her farm too increased. The rabbits bred and increased to 25; each sheep bred and produced baby sheep and the family began to take milk from the ewes. The hens began to lay about 15 eggs per day and the herb seedlings grew too. Now, enthusiastic about development and extending her garden, she has started to plant additional types of vegetables with her income.

As their gardens blossom, Lila Saed joins other beneficiaries in expressing gratitude to IDRF and donors for providing her with this opportunity to be self sufficient in supporting her family : “I am now able to generate and secure food and income for my family.”

We are truly grateful to our donors, particularly the Islamic Society of York Region, for making this project possible through their very generous support.

Read more about this project here.