2003 Lenten Project

The Lenten focus for 2003 was a Palestinian Women’s Network project.   The network focuses on young women between the ages of 15 and 24 to help them to complete their education.  The situation of women in rural areas is addressed and great efforts are made to give children an up-bringing which will help them not to hate those who are oppressing them.  Workshops arranged by the network include:

• Polygamy, early marriage and divorce

• Crisis management

• Coping with fear and anxiety

• Activating women’s role under siege

• Empowering women through the internet

• Shelter for abused and mistreated women

• Radio station “against silence”

• TV programmes

The total raised is currently £3,000

Ute  Jaeckel  has written about her experience of fasting to raise  money for the project

“I finished the fast Wednesday night and in more than one way it was a very good thing for me to do. I had a strong sense of being accompanied by the people who were sponsoring me. I had support from around the globe including Ghana, Norway, Palestine and the Philippines, that was very special too. I have asked most people to send their  cheque directly to Christians Aware, and hope they won't forget to do it. I am posting a cheque in return for some cash people gave me. I have never done a lent thing before and only took it on this time because it was connected with the Palestine issues. Doing this fast and keeping silence opened up new experiences for me, far beyond the Palestine connexion and far beyond anything to do with fundraising and I really thank you for that.  I think I will do it every year now.I also wanted to tell you that following on from the Middle East issues weekend in Birmingham I travelled on to be with my friends in the Buddhist temple and Peace Pagoda in Milton Keynes. They are peace activists and important friends to me and I wanted to talk with them about the experience of the weekend. I saw in their visitors book that Christians Aware visitors had just been there the week before.”

The fund for this project is still open and contributions are still very welcome.  Please send donations to the Christians Aware office in Leicester.