Update: March 2014 - Letter from Jamal Burnat
Assalam Aliekom.
ESDC is sending warmest regards and greetings to Viva Palestina Malysia for the generous fund that supported Bilien Farmers affected by the apartheid ‘Israeli’ separation wall.
ESDC is still following up those farmers by extension and training, where at this point producing a guide for them on how to breed the grapes.
Moreover, ESDC will provide the farmers with a learning CDs about grapes and other agricultural good practices.
Thank you very much for your kind cooperation, ESDC is looking forward to cooperate with more to duplicate this successful experience with more other farmers affected by occupation practices in Bilien and other villages.
Best Regards
Jamal Burnat
M&E Manager
المركز الفلسطيني للتنمية الاقتصادية والاجتماعية
ESDC
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This is an agricultural proposal from Emad (Director of 5 Broken Cameras) for his village Bil'in. It is a land reclamation project for agricultural lands that are next to the apartheid wall that has already cut off some of the land from the farmers. The sum requested is USD45,000 for land reclamation, irrigation and grape plants. They started work in July and hope to plant the grapes in winter. Project is implemented by ESDC, an NGO in the West Bank. The photo shows the land where the project is implemented and directly behind it, the white buildings, is an Israeli settlement, which was once their land.
Ramzy Baroud ran the Seattle Marathon on 25 November 2012 on behalf of Viva Palestina Malaysia to raise funds for our women's micro financing project in Gaza.