Our projects-Jerico Vale
After the fateful October 7, 2023, I was repatriated to Italy and continued to manage the project Jericho Vale* (on date production in Palestine) from afar. I would like to share some aspects of this decidedly unique experience.
Living there for two years allowed me to build very strong ties with both my colleagues at the Foundation and with local partners. Despite language barriers-I do not speak Arabic, and others speak little English-we always managed to maintain contact, both for professional matters and for personal support. The trust and bonds built over the years have helped us overcome the obstacles imposed by the conflict in Gaza and subsequent distance. These solid, yet flexible relationships have enabled us to cope with even the most critical moments, despite the difficult circumstances. So you can imagine the enormous happiness I felt when, last October, I had the opportunity to catch up with some colleagues who came to Italy on a work mission!
The downside, however, is not so much related to the physical distance or the impossibility of returning to the Middle East, but to the constant feeling of being "about to leave." We had planned to return to Palestine in January 2024, then postponed to March, then to summer, and so on. I lived the last year with my suitcase packed, every month seemed like a good time to return to Palestine. This uncertainty prevented me from making other kinds of plans because at any moment I could have finally left again. A difficult emotional state, shared by my family as well.
In a way, I feel that I "lost" something when I left Palestine.. Sometimes I feel that this year has hindered me from building concrete and meaningful projects or friendships in Italy. The precariousness of the situation ended up isolating me, bringing back memories of feelings experienced during the pandemic, and reliving them was a real pain.
*project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.
Philip Capurro
Project manager