Agricultural Relief in Khan Younis Organizes Training for Al-Mawasi Farmers


Translated from Maan News
24 July 2008
9:47 AM

Gaza. Maan. Yesterday, Agricultural Relief organized a training workshop for Al-Mawasi farmers, in cooperation with the Youth Development Society in its headquarters east of Khan Younis.

The workshop lasted four days, and it came in the framework of the project for land rehabilitation in the Khan Younis Mawasi. Activities are funded by CARE International, as part of Taazez project.

Ibtisam Abu Salem, Director of Agricultural Relief in the Gaza Strip, emphasized the importance of the project, implemented in Al-Mawasi area that has suffered a lot during the years before the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Abu Salem explained that the occupation had isolated the area, marginalized it, destroyed the agricultural sector, and prevented it from benefiting from the various projects. Abu Salem also emphasized the dire need to rehabilitate agricultural land and to fence it and cultivate it.

25 farmers attended the workshop that focused on bio-agriculture, planting shrubs, how to use pesticides, the impact of pesticides on farmers and raising awareness about the possible dangers, and raising awareness about the proper mechanisms for use that avoid illnesses.

Imad Asfour, Director of the Youth Development Society, said the project is one of the most important implemented in the area, because it has helped rehabilitate the land and prepared it for farming with various types of shrubs, and has installed a water carrier line for the benefit of farmers.

Asfour explained that the project is part of partnership between his organization and Agricultural Relief, in the context of their joint work to help farmers.

Ahmad Al-Najjar, farmer, praised the important role of Agricultural Relief in helping the farmers rehabilitate the destroyed agricultural land, raising their awareness how to use pesticides, and proper irrigation methods, and he called for more meetings that will raise awareness.