- Title: Gaza women grow crops for cash in farming project
- Date: 29th October 2019
- Summary: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (OCTOBER 12, 2019) (REUTERS) FARMER PUTTING PEPPERS IN BUCKET VARIOUS OF FARMERS COLLECTING PEPPERS FARMER COLLECTING PEPPERS AND PLACING THEM IN BUCKET MORE OF FARMERS WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FARMER, NISREEN YASSIN, SAYING: "This project has helped us a lot with our family income. Our income used to be average or even below average, but with this project, the income has increased and has helped us go from being housewives to becoming businesswomen. We succeeded in the first project and now we are working on the second project. Currently we are preparing for the winter crops, such as growing chick-peas and beans. Of course all of this helps us increase our income." FARMERS HARVESTING CROP VARIOUS OF FARMERS COLLECTING PEPPER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FARMER, NISREEN YASSIN, SAYING: "Any woman who gets an opportunity like this, should not waste it, because I used to suffer a lot sitting at home and it even affected me psychologically. But this project has encouraged me to live and keep going, it also gave me the energy to become a normal, active person. I wake up early in the morning and come to the land, work and then go home and work there. This has helped me with the expenses for the house and the children. I advise women to not give up and continue with any project that they might get an opportunity in." VARIOUS OF FARMERS EMPTYING BUCKETS OF PEPPERS VARIOUS OF FARMERS CHECKING PEPPERS YASSIN CHECKING PEPPERS FARMERS EMPTYING PEPPER INTO BAGS FARMER CHECKING WEIGHT OF BAG FULL OF PEPPER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FARMER, MAI QADEEH, SAYING: "In the beginning it was really hard, there was a lot of criticism from the community, asking how are five women cultivating land by themselves? But with time, we overcame these hardships." KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (OCTOBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS) FARMERS CARRYING BAGS OF PEPPER AND PUTTING THEM IN TRUNK OF CAR FARMERS CARRYING BAGS OF PEPPERS AND WALKING FARMERS CARRYING BAGS IN MARKET FARMERS GIVING BAGS OF PEPPER TO GREENGROCER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GREENGROCER, ALAA ABU ABED, SAYING: "I buy from them and support them. We have difficult circumstances so anything else that they grow and harvest I will buy from them and support them." ABU ABED EMPTYING BAG OF PEPPER FARMER CHECKING VEGETABLES FARMERS TALKING TO ABU ABED
- Embargoed: 12th November 2019 12:53
- Keywords: Palestinian farmers Women farmers in Gaza Gaza-Israel borders Palestinians Israelis Palestinian economy
- Location: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA
- City: KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA001B35HKR9
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Every morning, five Gazan women cultivate their 15-dunom rented farm land near the enclave's border with Israel, part of a project they say has turned them from "housewives into businesswomen".
The women grow, collect and distribute potatoes and peppers and are preparing other vegetables for the winter season like chick peas and beans.
Their project, which they started in December 2018, was introduced to help support Gazan women and their families and was carried out in collaboration between local and international aid organisations.
They were given farming courses before receiving the funding to support the endeavour.
One of the farmers, Nisreen Yassin, says the opportunity to run her own farm has increased her family's income, but more importantly, has empowered her to become more productive - something to which she desperately needed.
"I used to suffer a lot sitting at home and it even affected me psychologically. But this project has encouraged me to live and keep going," she said.
Fellow farmer Mai Qadeeh's struggle is somewhat different. She said they face hardship imposed by a society that does not accept women to venture into a male-dominated field like farming.
"There was a lot of criticism from the community, asking how are five women cultivating lands by themselves?" she said.
But they quickly managed to earn the trust of greengrocers in Khan Younis like Alaa Abu Abed, who says he is adamant to support them.
They also sell their produce to supermarkets and restaurants, and wish to sell their fresh crops to venues outside Gaza in the future.
(Production: Suheir Sheikh, Mohammad Shana) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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