Other children of Bethlehem, and the home that cares for them

Behind a hidden record states that Crèche is a children’s home – the only one that many illegitimate and abandoned children there have ever known.

Run by Catholic nuns from the daughters of the Charity St Vincent de Paul and Palestinian workers, it is a refuge for about 50 children, including those born out of captivity, who are at risk of violence and even freed from litter bins.

There are child refugees all over the world, all dealing with similar issues.

But the emotional pressure on the Crèche is to be in the traditional birthplace of Jesus, where the focus of the Christian world turns once a year into a story from Bethlehem that celebrates birth, family and hope.

Although it is a Christian center, the children are raised as Muslims according to local law, unless the staff are aware of the religion of the family that raised them.

In 95% of cases Iskandar Andon, the social worker who monitors the welfare of the children, receives an advance warning about a child born out of separation or from an ancestral relationship, but sometimes the first person he knows when he receives word from the police that a found child has been abandoned.

“For me as a social worker who lives with these children on a day to day basis, it is an honor to be accountable for them, or to be a part of their lives,” said Andon, 52, who Reuters.

But it doesn’t stress the emotional problems. Relatives may be violent, or drug addicts, or children and mothers at risk of honor killings.

“It involves ethical and moral responsibility, professional responsibility,” he said.

Founded in the early 19th century, the institution’s echo halls are home to births from the age of five.

But the Crèche is short of money – especially this year – amid donor exhaustion and the coronavirus that first hit Bethlehem in the Palestinian Territories, just before Easter.

The pandemic cut the number of visitors who could help or rejoice in the children, and put Bethlehem in a lock that wreaked havoc on the tourism – dependent economy.

The Crèche’s quiet charitable work has earned him respect and recognition, however, including a visit in January by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, whom he described as “a complete manifestation of humanity. “

Some of the staff grew up at home and, knowing the hardships that the children will be experiencing later in life, came back to help others like them.

“I worked in different jobs, but eventually I decided to work in this institute for two reasons. To have a job and build relationships, because I understand the nature of children, said Mariam Ayyesh, a 39 – year – old teacher who now works with the nanny she raised.

Ayyesh has never met her parents and is not interested in finding them or getting to know who they are.

“When you grow up, at school graduates, and at university graduates, you can see everyone around you, it’s a little difficult … But in the end, if the child gets an education, and if well built, these will all help, “she said.

Most volunteers dress up as Santa Claus to bring some festivity with them, and teddy bears are piled up around the Christmas tree. But this year there is less decoration and fewer visitors.

However, there was at least one happy ending, a few days before Christmas.

One of the children born out of wedlock begins a new life after parents marry and settle home together – albeit far from their home town to avoid study.

“At least today we have started on a solid foundation on which we can build a strong house, which will support and protect this child,” Andon told Reuters, sitting in the garden with models of reindeer and Santa Claus around air.

“We were very pleased that this girl started with us,” he said. “And this is like the story of a child born, (at) Christmas 2020 years ago, in a house with difficult circumstances with a father and mother who did not knew where best to be, under harsh conditions. And we saw later how this turned out. ”