CARE, EU Commission train Palestinian cheesemakers

CARE and the Humanitarian Aid department of the European Commission has implemented an emergency food security project in more than 14 localities in the northern West Bank, and in 10 areas in the northern and central Gaza Strip.

Among the many activities carried out across West Bank cities benefiting from the project, which include Jenin, Nablus and Tubas, is the cheese project involving 19 groups of women working with 15 tons of local white boiled cheese, distributed to over 1,000 needy families.

The Ma'an Network, funded by the EU, was there to film the project and record the stories of successful women throughout the occupied Palestinian territories.

Sawsan Sawafta, from the Burkin Charity Association, said she benefited from the training received under the program, learning the best ways to make local white cheese. She thanked the PA Ministry of Economy, CARE and the European Commission for funding the project "which allowed women to go out and work to help their husbands with providing for the family. Now we can say we are able to be economically and financially independent women. It feels great!"

Ja’far Na’erat, CARE project manager, said 200 women were trained during the project, producing over 15 tons of white cheese. "Women learned not to depend on old methods of boiling the local white cheese, further increasing their output."

Palestine TV and the Ma'an TV Network broadcast a documentary on the project and the women who participated, which aired at Monday at 6pm. A repeat of the documentary will be available on Tuesday at the same time.