THANK YOU for helping make the IQFA Festive Crafts ‘n’ Bakes sale a great success!
THANK YOU to everyone who helped make the Festive Crafts ‘n’ Bakes Sale in Monkstown Meeting House on 6th December a huge success!
This was only made possible by the 50+ Friends who helped in one (or more) ways! Thank you to those who were busy crafting and making cards during the year, to those who helped with publicity, to everyone who helped by baking, donating, helping set up/clear up, who helped on a stall or in the café on the day, or who helped wash up, clean up and deliver leftovers to charity shops. Great teamwork all round!
A special mention to Monkstown Friends who were so welcoming and supportive, and who didn’t hesitate to roll up their sleeves and get involved in any and every way.
The monies raised will be distributed to several projects across the world supported by Irish Quaker Faith in Action (IQFA), mostly small projects with a Quaker connection that focus on social action, justice and/or peace-building. To find out more about the work of IQFA, see www.iqfa.net.
Do you know of a small charity in Ireland or overseas that would benefit from a donation from IQFA? If so, please request an application form from David Gamble, IQFA Convenor, at iqfacon@gmail.com.
Many thanks, Fiona Murdoch (on behalf of the IQFA Sale Organising Committee)
News from Gaza
Christmas Eve
A tale of two cities
As we in Ireland prepare for our Christmas Day celebrations, we have just received news from a group we in Irish Quaker Faith in Action know well. Abdeljalil Ghorab is the director of the Nour EL Marifa el Kharia School in Nusirat, Gaza, unfortunately, his house was destroyed when it was targeted last night in a land offensive. Thankfully he survived and sent this video of what remains of his home.
In the video, he says “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to God.” As he surveys his now destroyed home.
Abdeljalil told Richard in a WhatsApp message “that by a miracle of God he and his family all survived.”
Noor Al-Marifa is an independent, non-profit, non- partisan and charitable organization founded in 2000 in the Gaza Strip. The main goal of the Noor Al-Marifa association is to support and develop the abilities of Palestinian students like talented, outstanding, disabled and students with learning difficulties. The most important right from NMA’s point of view is to grant safe access to education where all children can enjoy their right to education. The need for their work is evident everywhere in Gaza, how the directors and staff still manage to perform their daily tasks, while living in the centre of a conflict is amazing.
In the second clip, Abdeljalil’s nephew is singing the call to prayer with the debris of what used to be a thriving neighbourhood all around. The scale of the destruction and damage is immense.
