Waseela” Project: A Model for Strengthening Women’s Resilience, Survival, and Turning Challenges into Achievements in H2
West Bank – Hebron for Haneen, each day is another chapter of challenge, resilience, and determination to remain in her community located in the restricted H2 area of Hebron city in the southern West Bank. Here, women live a different reality, where the details of daily life are intertwined with military checkpoints and severe restrictions on movement. Yet despite all this, women continue to weave powerful stories of resilience and creativity that cannot be ignored.
Haneen Nahwi is one of the women of this area. She did not choose the easy path, but she chose to carve her own way despite all difficulties. Movement here is not a given right, it is a daily challenge filled with anxiety and uncertainty. Haneen knows that her days are not easy; she constantly lives with fear and stress regarding any task she wants to accomplish. Visiting family, going to a clinic, taking children to nursery or school, all are journeys fraught with hardship and risk. For example, the road to the market, just minutes away, can turn into a long journey of inspections and waiting.
Despite these harsh conditions, Haneen launched her project “Waseela,” with support from ActionAid Palestine (AAP) through the “Valiance “Basala”-Empowering Women in the Old City of Hebron, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Her project focuses on designing and producing educational fabric books and activities for children from three to nine years old, in addition to educational tools for nurseries, kindergartens, and schools. Haneen says: “My project was not just an idea; it was also a response to a community need and an attempt to create a safe and inspiring space for children in an unstable environment.”
Haneen continues to develop her project under complex and challenging conditions. Procuring raw materials is a difficult task; she is forced to buy small quantities at higher prices due to restrictions on goods entering the area. With limited transportation options, she often carries materials over long distances on foot or using a simple cart. Even leaving the house requires careful planning, gathering all necessities at once to minimize crossing checkpoints, as no one knows what might happen at any moment. Haneen explains: “In reality, I avoid going out a lot . I try to gather everything I need and do it all in one trip so I don’t face difficulties going or returning. I never know what might happen on any given day. This affects me deeply and keeps me constantly tense. Even thinking about going out makes me anxious from the start.”
This reality impacts not only on her work but also her personal life. Haneen longs to visit her parents and siblings who live in Jenin in the northern West Bank, but such visits require complex arrangements and long travel times, often forcing her to stay longer to compensate for the separation. Hosting them in her home remains a distant wish due to movement restrictions. Even her children’s lives are affected—taking her child to nursery is a stressful and exhausting journey with no guarantee of safe passage through checkpoints. She says: “This reality has made our social life very limited; visits and communication are no longer as they used to be.”
For women and families in this area, the only option is to endure and remain despite these harsh conditions. Haneen refuses to leave. Like many women in Hebron, she holds firmly to her right to stay in her home and on her land, refusing to be forced into displacement or become a refugee. This determination is not just a stance; it is a driving force for perseverance and growth. She says: “We live here, our homes and land are here. We grew up in this place and are deeply connected to it. We have no other option to leave or move elsewhere. We hold on to our right to stay in our homes and on our land without being forced to leave or become refugees.”
Haneen continues developing her project from her home in this restricted area as a means of resilience, survival, empowerment, and protection. Through her work, she not only provides for her family but also contributes to education by offering innovative tools for children in a difficult environment. She says: “My project ‘Waseela’ has become more than a source of income. It is a space for empowerment and stability. It gives me a sense of security and responsibility and strengthens my role in serving the community, especially children.”
AAP supported Haneen and her project by providing specialized training in project management and marketing, helping her develop her skills and present her work with confidence and professionalism. She later received a grant that enabled her to purchase production machines, allowing her to expand her work, increase productivity, and diversify her products.
Haneen’s story is not an exception; it reflects the reality of many women in Hebron who face severe restrictions on movement and daily life yet continue to create pathways for resilience and survival. It is a story of determination in the face of constraints, creativity born from hardship, and hope shaped by women who refuse to have their lives defined by barriers.
About ActionAid International
ActionAid International is a global federation working with more than 41 million people across over 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive for a world founded on justice and sustainability, where everyone enjoys a life of dignity, freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. Our work focuses on achieving social justice, gender equality, and eradicating poverty.
ActionAid began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, grounded in their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. In Palestine, ActionAid implements various programmes through engagement with Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women. We aim to empower women and young people, enhance their effective civic and political participation, deepen their understanding of their rights, and mobilize them to engage in collective action to address rights violations resulting from prolonged occupation. Additionally, we work to strengthen their leadership capacities and support them in practicing active citizenship by holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable.
For more information, please contact:
Riham Jafari
Communications and Advocacy coordinator – ActionAid Palestine