May 26, 2009

Education: Connecting Bethlehem with Gaza

The Tale of Two Mohammeds

However, they were restricted to being “virtual classmates” through videoconferencing. “As I observed Al Azaizeh while we were students, I always felt like I could observe how he felt,” said Salahat recently, “I could tell he had a very heavy load on his shoulders.”

And this is true – Al Azaizeh had a heavy load on his shoulders in Gaza . While he was a student, Al Azaizeh was also volunteering as an ambulance driver in Gaza, spending his days tending to, and transporting, the injured in one of the world's most dangerous places. At the same time he was balancing commitments to his family and to his education, an education which nobody could call easy.

“It was terrible for him,” said Salahat. “I could tell it was not easy at all.”

Al Azaizeh is one of 10 Palestinian students from Gaza who graduated from the Occupational Therapy Program at Bethlehem University in March 2008 despite never setting foot on campus – not that he didn't want to come to campus – he wasn't allowed to come to campus by the Israeli authorities. Unable to leave Gaza because of the ongoing Israeli military occupation and Israeli imposed siege, Al Azaizeh is one of 10 students from Gaza who were accepted at the Vatican-sponsored Bethlehem University and expected to begin classes in August 2003. Not one of these 10 students was able to secure permission from the Israeli authorities over the more than four years of their studies.

However, that didn't stop their commitment to their education. All 10 students completed their studies through the extra-ordinary commitment and generosity of many people and organizations – especially the faculty of Bethlehem University and numbers of persons from the Occupational Therapy profession throughout Europe . With the use of videoconferencing, occasional journeys to Egypt where they were able to meet some instructors face-to-face, and some international volunteer faculty who were able at one time to get access into Gaza , these 10 students were able to complete their studies.

In the end, because of these difficulties and the terrible daily obstacles and setbacks due to life in a warzone, they graduated nine months later than their Bethlehem classmates. Only being nine months later than originally planned is a testament to their strength and determination.

Because he was from the Bethlehem area, Salahat was one of the lucky ones. “For me as a colleague, I was seeing how difficult it was for them to learn via videoconference. While this technology can be helpful as a supplement to face-to-face time with your teacher, to rely on this technology most of the time, especially when it is not what you had anticipated would be the case, is not so easy. Here in Bethlehem , we had the teacher on campus with us. Someone was with us, in front of us. Our Gaza colleagues were like a very distant audience. With regular connection problems, sometimes they lost the class. For us, the faculty department was here in Bethlehem . We could go and ask for help and approach the teacher. Psychologically and emotionally it was very hard for them.”

For Al Azaizeh, the struggle was also internal.

“I had a conflict within myself,” he said recently in a phone call with Bethlehem University . “I studied four years without ever seeing the university or entering onto campus. People in Gaza found it strange and I wondered if it was a real degree or not. But in the end, I know it is. I've learned a lot and it is proving to be very useful”

Despite his daily struggles, Al Azaizeh was able to graduate. He is now employed as the Coordinator for Psychological Support for Children at Mercy Corps in Gaza .

Although there is a great need for occupational therapists in war-torn Gaza , there are no universities there which offer it as a degree program. Unfortunately, because of the Israeli-imposed military and economic siege of Gaza – in place since January 2006 – hundreds of students are unable to leave to take up places at Palestinian universities, including at Bethlehem University , which lies only 45 miles away from the Gaza Strip and the University has a history of having some 438 students and graduates from Gaza .

However, a new scheme at Bethlehem University was recently set in motion to change this. The Bethlehem University Gaza Student Initiative, launched this month, is seeking to secure Israeli travel permissions to allow students from Gaza to once again study at Bethlehem University with their brother and sister Palestinians. The Initiative also seeks to raise enough money to offset the expenses of any Gaza students who are allowed to leave.

The densely populated Gaza Strip – home to 1.5 million Palestinians – is economically devastated due to years of isolation and massive Israeli airstrikes which the United Nations reports as having killed more than 1,400 people earlier this year. Much of the infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and businesses, was destroyed. Thousands of persons were left homeless and injured. The need for more people like Al Azaizeh is greater than ever.

“I went and helped volunteer during the war,” said Al Azaizeh, who was scarred by what he saw. “It was hard on everyone. I lived every horrible moment of it. The war, the bombing, the destruction, it affected me psychologically.”

Nevertheless, Al Azaizeh said he's now discovered how important his degree is. He said others appreciate and respect him for his skills and because of what he's been able to do for his community. “I am so grateful to Bethlehem University and our faculty for reaching out to me and my colleagues here – and for not giving up on us,” said Al Azaizeh.

Here in Bethlehem , Salahat is working as an occupational therapist at Bethlehem University . He maintains the importance of Gazan students having the same educational opportunities as everyone else.

“Everyone has the right to education, it should not be about politics. To move freely, to have access to a university, to your teachers, to your colleagues, is not something that does not threaten anyone's security. Indeed,” he continued. “Education will help both Israelis and Palestinians. We have graduates from here who are working in Jerusalem and helping Israelis. It's got to be about people and meeting their needs – and not about politics.”

Like many in Bethlehem , Salahat was worried about his former “virtual classmates” during the recent war on Gaza . He spent a day calling them to see if they were hurt and to lend support. He was able to speak with Al Azaizeh. “I wanted to help him feel better. We were together as colleagues, friends, Palestinians – as one people under occupation, even if we couldn't be together physically.”

For Al Azaizeh, this support was crucial. “ Bethlehem University was one of the things that helped me through it,” he said. “I have one dream, to put my hands on a University building, to touch one of the University stones. I would love to meet my former classmates. I would sacrifice everything just to make this dream come true.”

For more information on the Bethlehem University Gaza Student Initiative:
http://www.bethlehem.edu/archives/2009/2009_023.shtml