May 14, 2008

Surmounting Obstacles with Creativity, Determination and Effort

Ten Occupational Therapy students from Gaza graduate from Bethlehem University without ever having set foot on campus

In an exceptional and touching ceremony Bethlehem University celebrated the graduation of 10 Occupational Therapy (OT) students from the Gaza Strip on Thursday, March 27. Due to the harsh restrictions of movement imposed by the Israeli government, the graduation had to take place in two different locations. The Gazan students, who were not allowed to leave the Gaza Strip and thus never set foot on the Bethlehem University campus, gathered at the Islamic University in Gaza City, while administrators, faculty and students came together in the Audiovisual Center of Bethlehem University. The entire celebration took place via video conferencing, the same technique the program organizers and teachers used, among other means, to teach the Gazan students in an effort to overcome the many obstacles inflicted by the Israeli authorities and make the OT program a success.

The OT program was first offered as a major by the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences in the fall of 2003 in coordination with occupational therapist Barbara Lavin. Because of the great need for the professional rehabilitation services of occupational therapists in conflict areas like the Gaza Strip, Bethlehem University accepted 10 Gaza residents to the program. Those students were sponsored by full scholarships provided by individual donors.

However, in the summer of 2003, only a short time after the students were accepted to the program, the Israeli authorities stopped Palestinians from leaving the Gaza Strip. Even after applying for a permit to leave the area, five of the 10 students were denied entry to the West Bank to join their fellow students at Bethlehem University .

The team working with Barbara Lavin and Dr. Khamis Issi, Rehabilitation Director in Al Waha Hospital in Gaza City , refused to give up on the five remaining students. They worked diligently to create alternative methods of learning, including the use of video conference, DVDs, the Internet, and lecturers from abroad who were invited to teach in Gaza and in Cairo whenever possible.

Despite their efforts, the students still faced serious challenges. In the fall of 2007, only five students were allowed to leave the Gaza Strip to go to Egypt and, after they had completed the workshops in Cairo , were barred from reentering for one month. Throughout the four years Bethlehem University, in cooperation with Gisha, an Israeli Human Rights group, struggled to obtain the right of the Gaza students to leave the Gaza Strip for their education; they brought the case to the Israeli Supreme Court which delayed it again and again and after four years of trial decided not to grant the students the right to travel to the West Bank.

Brother Robert Smith, Academic Vice President and interim Vice Chancellor of Bethlehem University, commented on those difficulties in his graduation address. “When challenged by many practical difficulties that other people might have said ‘No, no way, forget it, it is not worth it, I cannot do it,' everyone involved in this program said, ‘No, we will NOT let the present difficulties and circumstances stop us! We will overcome them!'” He added that “through creativity, determination, much effort and the help of many people and organizations we all worked together over the past five years to make this graduation day a reality!”

Ms. Nelly Husari, who took the place of Ms. Barbara Lavin as Coordinator of OT in 2007, presented a letter from Ms. Lavin to the graduates, in which she congratulated them and reflected that as an occupational therapist she was continuously amazed and delighted at the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to endure difficulties in order to reach a valued goal. She went on to say “It seems that this resilience and perseverance have been very much in evidence in your journey of the last four years towards the completion of the program and this day. I suspect that more resilience and perseverance will be required as you develop your professional careers as occupational therapists in Gaza – but by now you have had lots of practice!”

Sharaf Faqawi, the student delivering the graduation speech, thanked Bethlehem University , especially Ms. Barbara Lavin “for all the efforts and support in helping us to graduate from this program in spite of the severe difficulties and obstacles we faced.” The speakers also used the opportunity to thank the numerous organizations that generously supported the program, among them the Norwegian Directorate for Development Cooperation (NORAD) through the Norwegian Association of Occupational Therapists (NETF), Action Around Bethlehem Children with Disability (ABCD), the Swedish Organization for Individual Relief (SOIR) in Gaza , ALWAFA Hospital in Gaza , and Irish Aid.

As a profession occupational therapy helps people develop life skills and helps them find ways to overcome the challenges that interfere with their ability to engage in activities or occupations that are important to them. These kinds of challenges might result from injury, disease, social disadvantage, or the environment. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages to promote health, prevent and overcome disability, and develop or maintain abilities. Occupational therapists are often part of a multi-disciplinary team and work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, schools, community health care clinics, and the work place.