Abir's Garden Playgrounds for a Safe Place to Grow

Dear Friends, 

Our Combatants for Peace partners sought to build this third Abir's Garden Playground in a village that is at such high risk of settler violence that internationals from the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) moved in to the village to live there so that Palestinian families would be safe.  That's why Combatants for Peace are there too.  I thought that the Itamar settlement was only on one hilltop but as we drove there in April, Abu Mohammed, a coordinator for Combatants for Peace, pointed out the settlement buildings and outposts on all the hilltops around the village.  Afterwards, as we were driving out of the village, the settlement's private security car came down into Ein Yanoun to inspect the playground space we had visited.

I wish I could tell you that this third Abir's Garden project is up and running, with happy children and families enjoying their new playground in all safety.   However, this simple playground project is more difficult than the others in part because of the risks that the villagers face and in part because it is relatively challenging for Combatants for Peace volunteers to reach this site — only one road remains, the Israeli Army has closed the others. 

Combatants for Peace reports that they continue to hold their commitment to build the playground despite their delays. Yusri, a member of Combatants for Peace, who was the project leader for the Abir’s Garden playground they build in the south, has now joined the team in the north to help move this project forward. They will all be meeting soon after Ramadan to plan next steps and will soon be in touch with the town of Agraba regarding the town's promise to install the new road to the site of the playground.  

When my team and I visited in April, we drove along a road through the olive orchards some with red poppies growing in the grass.  I was with Ayat, Rebuilding Alliance's Communications and Outreach Officer, and also Sue, a member of my Rotary Club of Woodside Portola Valley who was visiting the Holy Land now that we finished our Rotary Birthing Center project.   We picked-up snacks in Ramallah then drove to Nablus to meet Abu Mohammed who was very clear about using his truck instead of rental car to get there.

We drove through the town of Agraba then past the center of the little Ein Yanoun village to the new playground site where we parked and walked through a beautiful waist-deep wheat field, planted beneath the olive trees.  Somehow, my camera battery failed in one of the most picturesque vistas in all of Palestine.

Some parts of the park and playground site were surrounded by a cement block wall, while in other parts the wall was made of tires stacked some 4ft high. There were tire walls in other areas of the village too. The playground walls will be painted with colors later as the playground takes shape.  Abu Mohammed also decribed their plans to make it a special playground garden and have an opening ceremony when it’s finished.

But why use tires? After all, there is no auto repair underway in the village. Abu Mohammed explained that there are wild pigs that damage crops and can be very dangerous. Rumor has it that they were released by settlers, but it is likely that the native wild boar population just grew as they now have no natural predators. See the article by Nora Lester Murad for more information about this.

Afterward our visit to the playground site, we went back to the center of the village to visit the members of the EAPPI who are staying there to protect the village.  Only one volunteer was home. She was really nervous about being outside with us. “I’ve got to put my yellow vest on so the settlers will see it,” she said.

The EAPPI volunteers walk around the village every morning and every evening in a team of two. They know the settlers are watching everything and they hope their walk will reinforce their important protective presence. It was good to connect them with Combatants for Peace (CFP) and our Abir’s Garden project.

Despite the challenges, we are all doing our best to make this Abir’s Garden take shape as truly a safe place to grow. Thank you again for your trust in Combatants for Peace and in Rebuilding Alliance. I’ll post CFP's construction schedule as soon as I receive it.

Sincerely,
Donna

Links:

• Here is Combatants for Peace' new website
• About the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine & Israel
• Nora Murad's research article about wild pigs in the West Bank