A house to live in

	Dear friend, From atop the hill where the tiny village of al-Mufaqarah rests, in the southernmost end of the West Bank, the desert appears immense as the eye wanders uninterrupted over its rolling hills. Uninterrupted that is, until it hits the four illegal Israeli settlements, sticking out like a sore thumb. Simple folk live here, people made to endure ubiquitous harassment by extremist settlers and life under the constant threat of displacement by the Israeli army. Help us show that solidarity is more than a mere word. On November 24 last year, Israeli soldiers raided this small community. The bulldozers, yellow as the sand but foreign like the settlers, demolished the village's mosque, two houses, a shed and a small building housing a generator - the village's only source of electricity. Two women were arrested for standing in the bulldozers' path. While they destroy time and again, we continue to rebuild. Help us stand on the side of justice. Today, caves and tents are used for homes instead of the houses which once stood here. There are no electricity or running water and even the scarce remains are under threat of demolition since the entire area - sans settlements, of course - has been declared a closed military zone. The sense of uncertainty lays heavy upon the lives of children and adults alike. Such is life under the boot of Israeli occupation in one of the poorest areas of the West Bank. The Popular Struggle Coordination Committee intends to help build 12 permanent houses for the 12 families living in al-Mufaqarah. While we have already started building, our resources are limited. We turn to you for help in raising the necessary funds Sincerely, Mahmoud ZwahreOn bahlf of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee		Children in al-Mufaqarah Help us put a roof above these children's heads Israel wants the people of al-Mufaqarah to continue dwell in caves, or just move out of its way completely. A roof above our head may be one of our most basic, fundamental, needs, but building a house is no simple matter. It doesn't come cheap either. In order to put a wrench in the works of ethnic cleansing, we have committed to build 12 permanent houses in al-Mufaqarah - one for each family in the village. We did the math, and since all work will be done experts willing to volunteer, the cost of building every house will be that of the materials: 1,300 Euros / 1630 USD. The 12 houses will cost 15,600 Euros / 19,560 USD. Every cent you give will help us buy gravel, sand, cement, iron, fuel or cinder blocks, and help put a roof above a child's head. You can make a secure donation through our website, or by transferring money directly to our bank account: Account name: Coordination Committee Account number: 1205998 Bank: Bank of Palestine PLC Branch: Ramallah Bank number: 89 Branch No: 458 Swift code: PALSPS22 When transferring money to our account, please email us atdonations@popularstruggle.orgso that we can keep track of the donations.