Holy Land: Martha's House ladies wait for covid vaccine

Bethlehem - deserted under covid-19 lockdown

The vaccination programme has barely begun in the West Bank. It has not yet reached St Martha's House, the first day care centre in Bethlehem for elderly women - mainly widows living alone without a carer. At the onset of Covid -19 it had to close initially for two months, but since June 1st 2020 has managed to keep open to a regular schedule.

No welfare systems exist in Bethlehem such as state pensions, healthcare or social services to provide a safety net of support. Elderly women living alone are particularly vulnerable to increasing needs for such support.

St Martha's provides a safe and caring environment where they can spend quality time in their latter years and through increased use of IT, share their experience and influence with generations of the future.

This vulnerable group of women has felt even more isolated, marginalised and more susceptible to all of the problems the elderly have faced through Covid 19, particularly their mental and physical wellbeing. Friends of the Holy Land is the sole funder of this project.

The ladies have provided us with a recipe you might like to try. For more information on the recipe and on how the Friends of the Holy Land supports Martha's house, please visit: www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk/st-marthas-house