This issue of The Newsletter will be in your hands while we are observing Mission Awareness Month in May at Westminster. Each of the last four Sunday worship services in May will have an emphasis on mission. At the congregational annual meeting in March those present chose, as our project for the month, the Gaza Clinics project, sponsored by the Women’s Missionary Society (WMS) and supported by congregations and individuals across the denomination.
I want you to imagine a little strip of land, blessed with a Mediterranean climate, with beautiful beaches. Now imagine that this strip of land is crammed with people – about 5000 in each square kilometer – with limited water and power supply and seriously inadequate sanitation facilities. Imagine that two thirds of these people are desperately poor refugees, there is mass unemployment and most have to rely on food aid. Imports to this place are tightly controlled and nothing can be exported. Leaving the area is extremely difficult if not impossible. You have just imagined life in the Gaza Strip.
It has been described as the largest open air prison in the world and it has existed for over 60 years as a result of the struggle between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Some of these people are third generation refugees and over three quarters of a million of them are children whose overall health is a serious cause for concern.
In 1952, shortly after the creation of Israel by the United Nations, the Near East Council of Churches (NECC) was formed, supported by mission agencies from Europe and the USA, and almost 60 years later, this Council continue to operate three Family Health Centres in the area. The nurses and doctors at the clinics are Muslim, as are most of the residents of the area, but the people who direct the clinics are Palestinian Christians and the costs are borne by Christians. It is a Christian witness and presence in the region.
Canadian churches were not part of this work early on but joined the effort in the late 1970’s. Support continues through the Canadian Council of Churches – United, Anglican and Presbyterian. The Presbyterian Church in Canada’s contribution to this work has been funnelled through the Kairos program – and Kairos received support from Ottawa through CIDA. Late in 2009, for no understandable reason, the federal funding for Kairos was cut, leaving the continuation of our support in serious jeopardy. Numerous appeals from individuals and congregations have been made to the Federal government – so far without results.
While it is true that the conflict between Palestine and Israel is political and controversial, this project is not about taking sides in the dispute – it is about continuing the work of the NECC in these clinics so that the health of mothers and their children is monitored and improved – surveys estimate that almost 50% of Gaza’s children are anaemic, 60% suffer from parasites, and far too many are malnourished. It’s also about us, as Christians, reaching out in love to the people of Gaza.
You can provide health care for the women and children in Gaza. As little as $10 pays for medication for an anaemic child - $20 covers the cost of a home visit by a health worker - $25 covers a routine visit to a clinic.
I commend this project to you both as individuals and as a congregation.
Druse Bryan
