Her philosophy is that you do not create a program that caters to women's needs. Rather, you create programs that build upon women's gifts and strengths.
Her non-profit presently consists of four projects. The first is an embroidery cooperative that helps uneducated Bedouin women earn income. The women are paid on the basis of production rather than on consignment. In order to be paid, however, they must attend mandatory workshops that include health, accounting skills, interpersonal skills, etc.
The second project is a mobile library for children. The library has children's books in Arabic, Hebrew and English. It is run by four university coeds who receive scholarship assistance for their work. The hope is that the children will read, and that the teenagers will come back to work in project when they have completed their education.
The third project is a project for girls to become leaders in a patriarchal society. The fourth project gives young women English and Math lessons in order to prepare them for university entrance examinations.
A fifth project is just beginning to take shape. The focus of this project will be to bring Bedouin, Christian and Jewish people together in constructive dialogue.
Amal is an amazing woman who began as an uneducated shepherdess who worked her way to a university education in social work. Her work so impressed visitors from McGill University in Montreal that she was recruited to study for a master's degree in social work there. She has recently been invited back to complete her doctorate.
We were served a sumptuous lunch in a Bedouin tent after her presentation.
One of Amal's older sisters, a more traditional Bedouin woman.
Amal addressing the group.
Views inside a Bedouin tent.
Location:קרן היסוד,Jerusalem,Israel
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