We have just finished the classroom in Gaza and now we are near starting the Samouni Educational Program. We have approximately 4 months funding for this program in its current form, but we are looking to improve our program from just grades 1-6, to grades 1-12. We would also like to add some special needs teachers for the Samouni kids who are the most traumatised from Israel’s slaughter of their family members. Help us make this happen and be blessed with us, we can do this. To donate specifically to the Samouni Educational Program click on the Donate link icon below.
TJP,
Ken O’Keefe
Origins of the Samouni Project
The Samouni Project was born when I lived in Gaza for six months in 2011. Getting to know the family, especially the children, I reached a point where I realised that I could do a lot for this family, especially if we worked together. So the first phase of the Samouni Project became the planting of an Olive Tree Orchard, the building of a playground and the laying of the floor for what is to become the Samouni classroom.
Ken O’Keefe in a meeting with the Samouni family
Building the playground and seeing the kids smiling and playing was and will remain a great joy for all of us who were involved, however, this was only a first step. Talking to the parents and the children, they all said what was needed now was proper education. Due to the deep trauma suffered by all of the kids, every one of them was/is suffering emotional and developmental damage. It was time to enter the next phase of the Samouni Project, setting up the classroom and identifying a qualified, loving and nurturing teaching staff.
We have now painted the classroom and organised an internet connection. We have collected all that is needed to begin quality education and we have the teaching staff waiting for our arrival. The cost for maintaining this education program is approximately €2600 a month. For this over 100 kids of the Samouni family will receive full time education, and adult education, which has been requested by the parents, will also be taught.
The Trade Not Aid convoy is the means to which we will deliver the classroom items and begin classes. The Samouni Project also involves a partnership between Ken O’Keefe and the Samouni parents in working together to export produce grown on Samouni family land. The goal is to make aid unnecessary be developing a viable business of and for the family so they can stand on their own two feet.
And this is the ultimate goal of the Samouni Project, not simply to help the Samouni family alone, but to create a model of education and social enterprise so that Palestinians young and old are able to live a dignified life. We are not benefactors, we are partners and we are family and we will do all that we can for our entire Palestinian family.
may God protect and bless you here and after for all the humanitarian things that you do Ken.
My name is Sandra da Silva, I am a Brazilian citizen living in Canada for the past 33 years. Dec. 2009 I decided to move back to Brazil to take care of my dying father when I got myself involved with a wonderful group of 16 professional people from America, Canada and Brazil that are currently doing amazing things for humanity. Our mandate is to build affordable housing, health, nutrition, training and education on the hospitality-tourism industry, landscape and horticulture and construction.
Yesterday (Saturday-June 2012), while watching a video from someone else, I literally stumbled on some of your videos. For the past 24 hours I have done nothing, but watch your videos, your struggles and I am absolutelly overhelmed with grief, dispair and asking myself why.
You are not a man Mr. O´Keefe. You are a mix of a prophet and an angel of God, sent by God in a time such as this to deliver God´s poweful message to this world we are living in right now. You are not from this planet that I know for sure. It takes more than a man to do what you are doing, Mr. O`Keefe, it takes a God using you mightly as His vassel.
In Brazil we face inumerous problems as you may know as well. I live in a very beautiful area in São Paulo but if I travel half an hour from my house, I will be inside of Haiti´s and Calcutta´s of this world, off course nothing compared to Gaza cause nothing can compare with Gaza. The things I´ve seen in Brazil helped me to make a decision to be “one in a million” and make a difference. The country has an amazing potential but unfortunately corruption is at the highest level and the battle between evil and good seems to be endless but good will always prevail. Never in mankind history people felt the need to: come closer to God, help their brothers and sisters and the need to become holy. Turst me on this one. Brazil has always being a place where spirituality is really big and right now people from all over the world are arriving here on a daily basis looking to re-discover themselves so they can be better people and work towards making this world of ours a better place. We do believe that mother earth will go through some major catastrophic changes to clease the evil forces around us. God in His glory and mercy can not allow evil to take control the way it is right now. Something has to happened. One can feel in the air and you know deep in your heart that changes are on the way.
We need to pray and ask God to send us His angels of mercy like you, to help us to prepare the way for this new generation to come. May God gives you the strength and wisdom to deal with the stuff that you are facing on a daily basis.
There isn´t enough words that I can say to tell you how much I admire and love you my brother. When you speak, you are the perfect picture of “love, mercy, tenderness and hope”.
As a woman that is trying to make a difference, I must say, that what we need in this world right now is real man, not sample of a man, but men like you. We must stick together in order to really make it.
God bless you Mr. O´Keefe. Your wife must be an amazing human being as well. My God guard you and your loved ones under His wings always.
I will keep you and your team in our prayers and rest assured that our path shall cross one of these days. I will try to do something on this side to help you with organizations.
Bless you
sandra