taleb nu'man abu aram, qawawis

“Up until the 1960s, our families used to move from community to community in the area. In 1966 my grandfather bought this land. My father and uncles dug caves and built everything with their own hands. Over the decades life has developed; first we lived in tents, and now in permanent structures; and the caves are used for the sheep.

In 2004 Jewish settlers took over our village. First they squatted for a few days but then they couldn’t be removed. With the help of [Israeli activist] Ezra Nawi, we hired a lawyer and submitted land ownership papers. The legal proceedings took a year and four months, during which time the settlers couldn’t be evicted and we couldn’t return to our homes. People in Yatta accused us of selling our lands to settlers. We were ashamed to walk in the street. We submitted an official Jordanian document (Hujja in Arabic) that proved that the land belonged to our grandfather since 1966. The clerk [in the Israeli Civil Administration] saw the document, and told us it was very valuable and we must keep it safe. The following morning the military broke down the settlers’ caravans and evacuated them, and our families returned.

Ten years ago, when the people of Comet-ME came to the area, they changed our lives. Life became easier, especially for the women and everything related to maintaining the household. Today they have washing machines and butter churns. The children can watch television in their free time, the houses have radios, people hear and are aware of what is going on in the world. In 2012 Comet-ME established its Center on land and in a structure owned by my uncle, Hajj Khalil.

The electricity project has truly strengthened the steadfastness of the people in the area, not only in Qawawis. Families have returned to the communities because of what Comet-ME has done and continues to do.”