Palestinian Territories
Human RightsRachel Corrie Rebuilding Campaign, Gaza 2nd Home
Rachel Corrie Rebuilding Campaign, Gaza 2nd Home
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Ali Al Bahry, physical therapist
Ali El-Bahri is a physical therapist, trained in Copenhagen, who graduated in 1983. He was the first physical therapist in the Gaza Strip. He worked with the UN with UNICEF for five years. Now he works at Gaza Community Mental Health Programme with the mentally ill, with those in prisons who have physical problems, and with those who suffer trauma.
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Rubble from the Al Bahry home demolished
In Sept, 2004, without provocation the Ali Al Bahry's home and the two adjacent homes of his brothers were destroyed by the Israeli Army. The Army had sent an advance team to pave the way for a full invasion of the Jabalya Refugee camp nearby that would take place one week later. The family had done nothing at all - no security violations, nothing. The only thing anyone could figure is that the army coveted the spot as a look-out site.
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Al Bahry Family Car
With only 5 minutes warning, the Al Bahry family was prohibited from saving their most valuable and cherished possessions, even their car.
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After loss of home, living with mother-in-law
After their home was demolished, Ali and his family moved into the very cramped home of their mother-in-law. We want to build them a new home - but it will take very special coordination to do this despite the blockade. Our partners at Gaza Community Mental Health Programme believe they can pull the Gaza community together to make it happen.
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Build during a blockade? We just did!
Here is a photo of the new duplex home for the Nasrallah family, the first home completed in the Rachel Corrie Rebuilding Campaign in Gaza.
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Ali Al Bahry's home destroyed Sept '04
In the economically devastated Gaza strip, a family's home is their most valued possession, requiring the life savings of many individuals in the extended family. Physiotherapist Ali Al Bahry and his brothers put their life savings into their homes, built on a slight ridge of a hill in the Gaza town of Beit Lahiya.
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Physiotherapist Ali Al Bahry and his family
Ali has two wives, Mona El-Bahri, his first wife--unable to bear children--and Mazuna El-Bahri, his second wife. They have four children, two girls and two boys and, when board members Cindy and Craig Corrie visited the family in Jan 2006, the family explained that the children have nightmares and have required treatment for post traumatic stress disorder resulting from the demolitions and the situation.
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The Al Bahry Children
The children are ten-year old son Hassan, eight-year-old daughter, Nozaha, four-year-old daughter, Noor, and a baby boy, Hussein, who is nearly two now.
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Mrs. Al Bahry and the family laundry
How do you hold your family together when your home is gone, you must move to place where there is so little room, in a different neighborhood far from the support network you love?
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Build Anyway -- a philosophy of Mother Teresa
From the wall hanging in Mother Teresa's office:
"What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway."
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Completed Building
Photo from Progress Report 'Husam is Home! And the RCRC won an eBay award!'
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Family from Gaza
Photo from Progress Report 'Husam is Home! And the RCRC won an eBay award!'
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