Last week marked an important moment for Seeds of Hope—for the first time since the war began last October, we welcomed a project team back to Jericho! Five people from one of our partner organizations, The Athlete’s Table, spent a week serving with us and investing in the community.
The Athlete’s Table focuses on impacting communities through the common ground of sports, and they’ve become valued partners for us over the past few years. In fact, they were the last project team in Jericho before the war began and we were thrown into the uncertainty of the past nine months.
After ending their trip prematurely and rushing home as threats of violence and danger loomed, we would have understood if this group didn’t want to return for a long time. But they are passionate about the work they’re doing and the relationships they’re building in Jericho.
“We came back because we believe in the work Seeds of Hope is doing and the power that sport has to amplify and support that work,” shared Jonah German, CEO of The Athlete’s Table. “We believe that the future in Jericho is so bright even amidst this war. Because of that belief, we returned as quickly as we possibly could. We were determined not to let the work stop.”
Last week, Jonah and his team spent their mornings at the Seeds of Hope Cultural Center summer camp and their evenings hosting basketball camps and trainings for local coaches. While we’ve hosted many camps for basketball and soccer, their work with coaches is a new effort that has been very successful.
Local coaches are eager to say they’ve been trained by American athletes, so we’ve seen great interest in the program. Jonah and his team focus on leadership development and coaching philosophies based on positive and uplifting values. We’ve been able to reach even more new people in the community who would otherwise not know about Seeds of Hope through this program. The Athlete’s Table even continued the training on Zoom over the last few months during the war, so they were thrilled to return and connect with people face to face.
“I’m so glad we were able to come this week,” said Jonah. “Jericho was quiet, but the people were just as welcoming and so excited to feel some sense of normalcy. There was, of course, a heaviness and sadness in the air, but we felt so safe and just as cared for as we normally do.”
As for Seeds of Hope, having a project team back in Jericho brought our team so much encouragement and hope!
“One of the most challenging parts of the war was being unable to work with the people we consider to be like family—our Project Teams,” said Fuad Jaddou, Director of Community Outreach at Seeds of Hope. “The lack of project teams has been a huge challenge for us, but it’s now with a very happy heart that Seeds of Hope has received the Athletes Table team this week.
“It’s like a breath of fresh air for us. Their presence in Jericho has brought more encouragement than they will ever fully realize. I am so thankful for their bravery and commitment.”
We know it will be a long road back to hosting project teams as often as we were before the war, but last week was an important first step. When teams visit Jericho, they become like family, and it has been difficult to be apart from family for so long. We look forward to welcoming more of our partners back, and we’re so excited about the important work that The Athlete’s Table is doing in Jericho and beyond!
Thank you for walking with us through this uncertain and challenging season. Even without in-person visitors, we’ve felt the love and support pouring in from around the world. We couldn’t do the work we do without you!
