Sebastia is a small village located in the West Bank, in the green region of Samaria; surrounded by expanses of olive trees, today it is experiencing the drama of war.
On the hills around, settler settlements are expanding more and more, threatening the safety of the villagers.
Over time we have launched many projects, with the aim of preserving and enhancing the history and cultural heritage of the town: the tomb of John the Baptist, the ceramics of Nisf Jubeil, the guesthouses... A recent project involved children and young people in the area in the creation of a five-a-side football team: playing lit up our eyes, seeing them play lit them up for us.
All this has helped to preserve some sparks of hope, to be repaired from the wind of hatred and war. One of these today burns more than ever: in collaboration with the municipality of Sebastia we organized a volunteer activity that involved the young people of the area in cleaning the streets of the neighborhood and painting the walls and doors. The aim is to involve the young people in useful activities for their city and their land, which at this time it is very important that they feel as part of themselves and their identity, and that they feel they are actively doing something to preserve and take care of it.
These are the words of Shady, organizer of the activity:
"Involving children in cleaning up the country's neighborhoods increases their sense of belonging to this nation. Since the current violence and conflicts are caused by the land and the control over it, it was important to organize such an activity. In addition, it is essential to convey to children the message that home is not just where you sleep: your home and your land are more precious than that."
"Despite war and destruction, our country will remain beautiful."
