Last week, the Seeds of Hope school hosted our annual International Women’s Day celebration to honor women who strengthen our community. We’re always looking for ways to model the example of Jesus in elevating and celebrating women in a culture and world that often devalues and overlooks their contributions.
Our students prepared for weeks for this event with traditional folk dances, meaningful paintings, and touching speeches. We chose several remarkable women from our community and invited them to be honored in the ceremony. Two of those women were Nadia and Um Ahmad.
PHOTO: Um Ahmad (center, photo one) and Nadia (center, photo two) were among several women from the community honored by our teachers and students during our International Women’s Day celebrations!
PHOTO: Um Ahmad drives her tractor as she works to keep her farm growing!
Many years ago, Um Ahmad and her husband started a small farm on their land. When her husband got a better job opportunity for their family, Um Ahmad decided to keep cultivating the land on her own.
What started as a small family farm has grown into a landmark business in the community. Um Ahmad became a trailblazer in sustainable farming and agriculture. She was the first Palestinian woman ever to obtain a tractor driving license, which she uses to bring her harvest to the farmer’s market each week.
As her business has grown, Um Ahmad has employed eight other local women to pass on her knowledge and continue to uplift her community. Her business has spread beyond Jericho and she now sends her vegetables and goods to markets in villages and cities across the West Bank.
We honored Um Ahmad for her hard work and dedication to her community. Her story inspired our students not to be limited by what’s been done before, but to look for opportunities to do something new to help those around them.
PHOTO: Nadia sits on Jericho’s Municipal Council and works to improve our city for everyone.
Another woman we honored was Nadia. She has worked her way up through a long career in education in Jericho. Her hard work and accomplishments eventually earned her a seat on Jericho’s Municipal Council. As a council member, she advises and helps make decisions about our city. She shared her inspirational story with our students and added how important it is to have women on our Municipal Council so that all our citizens are represented in decision making.
Nadia actually taught several of our Seeds of Hope teachers earlier in her career. Our students got to watch as those teachers honored Nadia and expressed their gratitude for her investment. It was a powerful moment for everyone! For our students, this event was a real eye-opener. Hearing from Um Ahmad, Nadia, and several other women, our students saw firsthand what’s possible when you don’t give up, no matter how tough things get. It showed them that women can be leaders and influence their communities in incredible ways.
This event aligns perfectly with our other efforts across Seeds of Hope to invest in and encourage women. Though often overlooked in Muslim culture, we see the immense influence that women in our community hold to shape the next generation as mothers, teachers, and community leaders. It’s why we invest in things like the Shine Program and Spa Days. By reaching women we can often reach the family, and transform our world one generation at a time.
Thank you for helping us create environments where women’s voices are heard, their contributions are valued, and their futures are brighter. It’s one of the many ways we can live out the Gospel in tangible ways for our students and our community!
