COVID19 crisis:Help vulnerable people in Bethlehem

In Bethlehem the emergency situation due to the COVID 19 pandemic caused serious health problems and also an increase in unemployment, due. Many families have found themselves in serious difficulties because there is no the national health system and not even social shock absorbers for unemployment. The local population is still in a serious health situation and a serious economic crisis.

Our Covid-19 emergency project has been part of this double emergency framework for
respond to the needs of the local community by supporting 6 women from the Bethlehem Govematorate, to whom it has not only offered work and training but has also allowed to produce a considerable amount of masks (distributed free of charge) to respond to the covid-19 emergency. The initial phase before the implementation of the project provided for the selection of the 6 beneficiaries of the project through the listening center of  Associazione Pro Terra Sancta. The local social worker, working with the project team, defined some vulnerability criteria such as the economic and work situation of the family compared with the number of people in the household. In view of the emergency situation, the selection methodology provided for the drafting by the social worker of a list of possible women in the Bethlehem area. Subsequently, by telephone interview, the survey, based on the criteria written above, wanted to evaluate the reasons for the possible
benefit and a verification of the sewing knowledge.

Select the 6 women who took part in the project, at the same time a local Fashion Designer was involved for the meetings of initial sewing training that oversaw the purchase of sewing machines, materials and the realization of the design of the masks. Since the beginning of the project fabrics and work materials have all been purchased in the Bethlehem area in order to support the local economy during the crisis. After the arrival of sewing machines, a first week of intensive training was organized, following all the instructions of the local authorities regarding the necessary health safety measures.

Defined the first mask model sewing machines were brought by the project team to the women's home, for health safety reasons. As had been defined since the initial proposal of the project, the production of masks continued at home of the 6 selected working women, allowing them to have a salary in this situation of serious economic crisis.Once the home production strategy of the masks was defined, constant home visits were carried out to support the women beneficiaries of the project, to ensure the quality and continuity of the masks production work.

The women were asked to write down the work notes and the number of masks produced per working day on a special form. The project team took care to provide the working women with all the material and support they needed to ensure the quality and continuity of the work.
The types of masks produced were of three types:
1) Model with two layers of cotton of various colors following the instructions of the Israeli Ministry of Health
2) model with two layers of cotton of various colors with hand-stitched Jerusalem cross.
3) Model with three layers (cotton and polyester) with emblem of mosaic motifs from the Basilica of the Nativity
4) Model with three layers of cotton for children
The idea behind the creation of different types of masks, in addition to responding to international and local criteria and indications, was a way to give different knowledge on sewing to women giving the opportunity to experiment with different techniques.

Since the start of the project, over 2,300 masks have been produced and distributed free of charge to distribution centers for people in need.