Paul Calvert spoke with Bogart Shunthurst from Lifegate

Young people on the West Bank who have physical and/or mental disabilities live on the edge of society. There is neither a statutory social security system nor special financial support for disabled people. Lifegate is tackling this challenge with a team of Palestinian and German staff members.

Lifegate in Beit Jala comprises a professional training, production and service workshop; medical rehabilitation and administration, providing education places for up to 30 disabled young people.

Paul Calvert spoke with Bogart Shunthurst from Lifegate to find out more.

Paul: What is Lifegate?

Bogart: Lifegate is an institution for the rehabilitation of children and young people with impairment.

Paul: When was the organisation founded and why was it founded?

Bogart: It came out of another organisation that provided a home for disabled and blind men located here in Beit Jala. In 1987 this home for men was slowly changed into a rehabilitation centre. The people in the house, around 13 men, were not doing much; they were eating, drinking and watching TV and just a few of them went outside for activities. We asked the question, 'Why are we not starting to teach you something that afterwards you could make your living from'? Some of the people were very happy about this idea, but others didn't like it; they wanted to be served and they left the institution. Out of this new approach we started with a single sewing machine to teach somebody sewing and other professions one by one were following. Then besides a living place, we provided the people with a vocation and training opportunity.

Paul: Are there a lot of physically and mentally disabled children and youth in the Bethlehem area?

Bogart: This question is not easy to answer, because we have not many official statistics done by the government or even by organisations. We know that the problem in society with impairment is the problem of the marriages within the same bigger family; we have many genetic problems and defects that lead to impairment. This pattern in society that you marry within the family is very common, so in many families unfortunately we do not have just one child with a problem, we have several children. There might be in all the country almost eight to 10% of the population having a physical problem.

Paul: Do you think there needs to be more education about marriage?

Bogart: Yes of course. We do that in Lifegate; we try to encourage the young mothers of our children to be aware that it's much better to look later when they are at the age for a husband, to look a little bit far. Very often in the poorer area today, the families are arranging those marriages; it's not that the young people can decide themselves, especially not the woman.

Paul: There are quite a lot of children's homes in the Bethlehem area, but is there much for those who have left school, who are 18-19 years old?

Bogart: This is really a problem in the Bethlehem area. This may be because Bethlehem is the birthplace of Christ; that's why many people have settled here, especially Christian organisations. We have quite a few organisations, who are giving people with impairment a nice day-care approach, but very few have the development of children and young people with impairment on their agenda and that's how Lifegate differs. We are not a place to keep children or young people; we are a pure development place. They come to us for a certain time, but then the aim is that they will make their living, hopefully independently, outside in the society. We prepare people to become independent; even to be able to take care of their own needs by the work of their own hands.

Paul: You are helping both Christians and Moslems here aren't you?