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Salem
Until UPA initiated the agricultural revitalization project in the West Bank, 31 year old Salem’s hold on his land had felt tenuous at best. Access to water was rare and securing it daunting due to the proximity of his land to settlements. Rugged conditions and settler violence make acquiring a necessity, water, a daunting challenge.
“This is the area that is most threatened with confiscation,” Salem says. “It is the only area we have that is suitable for sheep, livestock, and agriculture. This is our land and the land of our parents and grandparents.” To be able to not only stay on his land and honor the memory of his forefathers but pass it down to his own children is Salem’s dream, and UPA’s cistern project brings that dream closer to reality.
Hind
Hind, a 48-year-old widow, has spent her entire life in the town of Al Khader, on land she and her family have farmed for generations. She makes a thirty-minute commute to her land, underscoring her commitment to her heritage. As a widow, Hind prioritized the needs of her children as they were growing up, limiting her ability to keep her land cultivated. “I have 7 children and when my husband passed away...I had to prioritize. Who is more deserving? My children.”
The ability to stay in place, to hold on to her inheritance is also something she values. Hind’s presence on fertile land is a clear deterrent to its encroachment, says Hind: “When the land is cultivated, no one would dare to come near us from [the settlements] around us. You know how the situation is here.” She now brings her children and grandchildren to enjoy the land with her, passing down her legacy. “They love the land, love to come, and love to stay for a long time. God willing, they will stay that way.”
Hind stands proudly on her ancestral lands, surveying her legacy
Salem demonstrates the use of his newly renovated well which now provides consistent water for his land and livestock
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