The United Methodist Committee on Relief, through the World Hunger and Poverty Advance, awarded a grant in August 2024 to the Rural Women’s Development Society in the West Bank, the seventh in as many years. This project provides women with livelihoods, access to vocational training, business mentorship and a living wage in areas that have over 30% unemployment.
The current political situation in the Palestinian territories significantly deteriorated during the two-year war, particularly in the Gaza Strip, and with repercussions in the West Bank and other Palestinian communities. This has had severe economic consequences, leading to a 6% decline in Palestine’s gross domestic product in 2023. The loss of income has greatly affected Palestinians ability to buy food, even when it is available. Their movements outside their local areas are also greatly restricted.
The project, created by the Rural Women’s Development Society (RWDS), addresses a need expressed by Palestinian women for a national strategy to preserve traditional products, promote their nutritional value and maintain a Palestinian national heritage.
Cooking Food the “Slow” Way
To address these challenges, RWDS and the Bethlehem municipality are creating a thriving local food ecosystem that aligns with the principles of Slow Food. This involves preserving culinary traditions and enhancing the overall food culture in Bethlehem, based on the increasing demand for healthy household products that focus on Slow Foods.
The international Slow Food movement promotes local food and traditional cooking, urging communities to remain true to their local cuisines. In many places, this local culinary and traditional knowledge is being lost. The RWDS project reacquaints women with the traditional foods that define their Palestinian heritage using foods that grow locally, as their ancestors did, suited to the Middle Eastern climate.
As part of this grant, the RWDS team collaborated with the Bethlehem municipality to create a Slow Food Community in the Bethlehem Governorate (a local municipality under Palestinian governance). This community includes farmers and individuals interested in slow food. It will serve as a focus group for training in sustainable agriculture and will promote the concept of slow food, teaching it to farmers throughout the region.
Creating Jobs and Fostering Self-Determination
After cooking classes and business training, the next step for women is to market what they make. This program centers on slow food, but traditional crafts and cloth-making also make their way to market. RWDS partners with several markets in the West Bank, many of which are favorite spots for shopping and gathering.
Souk Nabe’ Al-Khairat is a well-known market in the Bethlehem Governorate, recognized for its high-quality homemade products. The market’s management and participating women have established strong relationships with various institutions, leading to many organizations hosting marketing days and festivals in collaboration with RWDS.
The women’s ability to gain income through selling what they make is a chance at renewing their lives, supporting their families and providing health care in addition to nutritious food.
Your Donations Help
Your gifts on UMCOR Sunday helps support the foundation for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) so that they can provide lifesaving grants to people suffering from disasters around the world.
excerpt from a story by Christie R. House, consultant writer and editor with Global Ministries and UMCOR.
This story shows the impact of UMCOR Sunday—one of six United Methodist Special Sundays with offerings—to ensure that help and hope reach those in crisis. Your gifts cover the administrative costs of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), so that 100% of other donations can go directly to disaster response and humanitarian aid. Together, we make it possible for the Church to respond swiftly and faithfully when the world needs care most.
When you give generously on UMCOR Sunday, you sustain the ministry that enables the Church to bring God’s love and practical help to disaster-stricken communities.
