Open House at Abraham’s House
JERUSALEM - In partnership with AWC (Al Thouri Women's Center), an association that aims to support the education, emancipation and empowerment of women, the Abraham's House of Jerusalem organized this Saturday, July 2nd, an open house for women and families, in order to make known the association's program in the surrounding neighborhoods.
For the year 2022-2023, AWC plans to set up weekly activities in Abraham’s House, a Christian pilgrims' house linked to Caritas France at the initiative of Pope Paul VI, and located closer to the Old City of Jerusalem than Abu Tor (where the association is already established). "Being able to organize workshops here every week will allow us to reach women who live in the surrounding neighborhoods, often poor and where life is not easy," explains one of the association's leaders. "The purpose of this day is to spread the word about the implementation of these activities."
To attract women and families, the staff of Abraham's House and AWC have thought big; children’s games, cake sales, shows... And their efforts pay; from 10 am to 7 pm, the courtyard of the House remains full. "This is my first time here," says a young woman living in Silwan. "At home, my children don't have the space to go outside to play or to meet with friends, so being able to come here is a real chance for them.”
Others, regulars of the House, are happy to learn that the place will now host activities organized by the AWC association. "Going to Abu Tor is too complicated for me. The bus is expensive, I don't have a car... Knowing that I will be able to participate in the activities thanks to this partnership is really a good thing.”
Starting in September, AWC will offer empowerment and awareness workshops for all women, in exchange for a contribution depending on the means of each participant – in order to guarantee a commitment on their part, especially for long-term programs. These weekly workshops will be organized at Abraham’s House, which for its part seeks to further develop its social activities. In addition to welcoming pilgrims in difficult situations and setting up this partnership with AWC, “hopefully on the long-term”, Bernard and Sylvie Thibaud, in charge of the house, are already thinking of other initiatives: awareness campaigns about ecology, summer camps for young people... “Abraham's House is a place with the potential to become more than just a welcoming house," Sylvie Thibaud says. "We need to think of other projects we could develop."
