Help Us - Help Jeel al-Amal

What is Jeel al-Amal?

The name is Arabic and means “Generation of Hope”. It refers to a school and orphanage in the town of Bethany, just two miles from Jerusalem, which was founded in 1972 by a Christian woman, Alice Sahhar.

The orphanage was established in response to a great need among destitute and displaced Palestinian children, giving them shelter, education and opportunities which they could never realise while homeless on the streets. Of mainly Muslim background, the children come from all over the West Bank. Many are brought by families who, for some reason or other, are unable to provide the necessary care. Others have been orphaned, and many have been living rough.

Jeel al-Amal reflects the ongoing difficulties of life in the West Bank. The whole area continues to suffer tremendous political conflict: the Israelis live in constant fear of their security while Palestinians suffer land confiscation, occupation and restriction of movement.

Our use of the name “Jeel al-Amal” really covers two orphanages, set side-by-side: The Jeel al-Amal Home for Boys and the Lazarus Home for Girls. Each year, Holy Land pilgrims from St Molua's visit Jeel al-Amal to learn what life is like for these children, and to do what they can to help make things more pleasant for them.

Next year’s pilgrims hope to take out a substantial donation, and to that end an event is planned which can be achieved with some effort. Please read on ...

The Jeel 150 (Jeel One-Fifty) is a sponsored walk of 150 miles, which will be carried out by two people, both of whom have a connection with Jeel al-Amal. They will be backed up by a support team who will see to their every need during their time on foot.

David Davies is from St John’s Church in Orangefield Parish, Belfast. His introduction to the children of Jeel al-Amal occurred earlier this year, during his first trip to the Holy Land. Having seen the difficulties of keeping the orphanage functioning, he quickly decided to offer his practical help. David Humphries is Rector of St Molua’s Church, Stormont, and has been a leader of pilgrimages to the Holy Land for many years. He was first introduced to Jeel al-Amal by Alistair McCabe of McCabe Pilgrimages, and has been keen to support fund-raising opportunities for the orphanages ever since.

The two Davids have seen the orphanages at first hand, and have developed a spiritual passion and responsibility to do what they can to help. The Jeel 150 is their attempt to raise as much money as possible.

Getting to Know the Walkers ...

Name : David Davies Age : Thirtyish. Parish : St John’s, Orangefield. Occupation : Restorer of antique furniture. Claim to fame : Ran the Belfast Marathon. Characteristics : Possesses mammoth determination. Likelihood of success : 99.9% Quote : “Let’s help these kids.”

Name : David Humphries Age : Fiftyish. Parish : St Molua’s, Stormont. Occupation : Clergyman. Claim to fame: Walked 100 miles. Characteristics : Stubborn in the extreme. Likelihood of success : 98% Quote : “I love a challenge.”

How do I Sponsor the Walkers ?

You can obtain a sponsorship form by clicking here or by phoning one of the contact numbers given below. Please enter your name, address and contact telephone number on the form.

• If you want to sponsor the walkers per mile (maximum 150 miles) enter the rate per mile in column 4.
  
  
• If you just want to make a set donation, enter this as a Total Amount in column 5.

If you, or anyone else who is sponsoring the walkers is a UK tax payer, and wish to Gift Aid your subscription, please make sure you sign the last column on the form. Not sure what Gift Aid is ? - please see the Questions section below.

There is room on each form for up to 10 people to sponsor the walkers so please encourage your colleagues, friends and relations to become sponsors too. There is no limit to the number of forms you can request or download and print off.

More information on returning the completed forms and getting your sponsorship money to us will be posted on the website in due course.

Some Other Questions Answered

When will the Jeel 150 take place?
It will begin on the morning of Sunday 16 September, after an early celebration of the Holy Communion at St Molua’s.

How long will it take to complete?
We reckon six days - maybe seven.

Will you come back home each evening?
No. There will be no luxuries on this trip. We will sleep under canvas.

Will you be in any danger?
Every precaution will be taken regarding our safety. We have already taken advice, and will continue to consult experts up to commencing the Jeel 150. During the project we will always be in communication with a member of the back-up team.

How much of the money you raise will go to the orphanages?
Every penny or cent of the money raised through the Jeel 150 will go to the orphanages; the administration costs for this project will be paid from another source.

So Jeel al-Amal is in Bethany. Where is this town of Bethany? What’s it like?
Bethany is a fairly small town, just across the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem. Imagine yourself standing on the city wall, looking east. A small hill, about 2,700 feet high, rises on the other side of a deep valley, and just out of sight, on the other side of the hill, stands Bethany.

Okay, I think I’ve heard of Bethany before - what do we know about it?
Well, Bethany is mainly remembered by Christians as the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus - two sisters and a brother, who were friends of Jesus. (It was Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead). Bethany was also the home of Simon the Leper, and Jesus spent a lot of his time there whilst visiting Jerusalem.

I see... and what is Bethany like today?
Today Bethany is a mainly Muslim town, known in Arabic as El Azariyeh (“Place of Lazarus”). It is a poor town, and rather untidy by our standards. It is cut off from Jerusalem by “the wall”, built recently by the Israelis to keep suicide bombers out of Jerusalem. Residents of Bethany who work in Jerusalem have great difficulty reaching their place of employment, as each day they must go through security checks, taking an hour or more. Sometimes they are not allowed through.

Are the children at Jeel al-Amal happy?
Extremely so ! And they dearly love welcoming visitors to their home. Hospitality is very important to these people, who would see it as both their duty and their pleasure to share their last piece of bread with a stranger.

What is Gift Aid?
If you pay UK tax at the standard rate or above, charities registered with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may claim back the tax that you already have paid on any donation you make to them.

For example, if you have £10 to donate, you will have paid £2.82 tax (at the basic rate) to get this from an original income of £12.82. (£12.82 x 22% = £2.82). Gift Aid allows you to say that this £2.82, instead of being spent by the Government, should be given to your nominated charity along with your £10 donation.

St Molua's Church is registered with HMRC ref no XN58251.

More detailed information on Gift Aid is available from the HMRC website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/giving-to-charities-indiv.htm#16

Summary and Contacts

• The Jeel 150 begins on Sunday 16th September 2007 and will end on Saturday 22nd or Sunday 23rd.
  
  
• The walkers are David Davies and David Humphries.
  
  
• The walk is in aid of the orphaned children of Jeel al-Amal.

If you require Sponsor Forms or have any queries about the Jeel 150 please do not hesitate to email

molua.stormont@btinternet.com

or to phone either of these numbers: +44 (0)28 9041 9171 or +44 (0)28 9048 3037.

PLEASE DO YOUR BEST IN YOUR SPONSORSHIP OF THE WALKERS
THIS IS A HUGE EFFORT AND A VERY WORTHY CAUSE
YOUR HELP WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED - AS WILL YOUR PRAYERS
THANK YOU !