Huwwara, Qira, Zeta, Wed 23.5.12, Morning
Translator: Hanna K.
10:15 Zeita – Some of us stayed in Zeita and had our meeting with the women.
And some left at 11:00 to the Za'tara intersection. There are no soldiers at the CP.
11:20 At Huwwara – A traffic jam and long queues of many tens of cars in all directions. The cause was that an explosive charge had been found in the square.
Just when we arrived two jeeps with more than 10 soldiers appeared and closed the roads from and to Nablus, as well as all the roads from the big square to all the other directions – Har Beraha and Awarta.
When we tried to enter, the border policeman who was there began waving his arms and shouted at us rudely that we should go away.
In the meantime an enormous traffic jam developed on the road, and more jeeps and many soldiers appeared. After some time they opened the Awarta CP and sent the vehicles to pass through the village.
Another jeep arrived and blocked the traffic to Huwwara from the direction of Awarta, created an enormous car queue from the square up to the center of Huwwara.
We waited in the traffic jam for a long time, and at 12:45 we managed to leave and continue on our way back to Zeita.
At Zeita we held during all this time a Hebrew lesson. The group advances nicely and the attendance of the women is complete and diligent, which is not characteristic for groups of voluntary learning in similar frameworks.
13:40 Qira - We drove to Qira for a meeting which was arranged for us with the coordinator of a group of mothers from.
It seems that their coordinator managed in a spontaneous decision to convene the mothers for a meeting with us at their center at Qira, but just forgot to see to it that we be informed.
There, at the center for women, a big group of about 25 mothers of different ages welcomed us cordially. Among the woman there was also the midwife, an elderly woman we had met in the village, as well has her family. We have also visited her home several times.
It seems that our acquaintance with the midwife and especially the presence of Fathiya with us opened the hearts of the women towards us, with much less suspicion and much more warmth and amiability.
Fatahiya led the acquaintance talks; introduced MachsomWatch and the reasons for our initiative in the villages and the possibilities for an activity programmed.
According to their choice we decided to teach English and Yoga in two alternate groups. It seems that the coordinator will divide the women by age and their prior knowledge of English. Hagar will conduct the Yoga training and Rivka Raz will teach English.
Later we will try to add instruction in handicraft.
We saw that the conditions there are more comfortable than in most places. There are three rooms for activities, with air conditioners, mattresses for Yoga and the feeling that the coordinator is attentive to the women and interested in cooperating with us.