Have you ever had to ask someone for financial help? I wish I could have spared Halimeh this indignity.

I met Halimeh in 2011 when I was visiting Palestine for the first time. I was walking in the old city of Bethlehem, saw a sign on the side of a stone building: Al Hayah Society for the De(a)f,

and knew I had to go in. I'd worked with deaf students, knew American Sign Language (ASL), and had many deaf friends. It felt destined.

And there was Halimeh, with her infectious smile and warm welcome. Being deaf, she was accustomed to figuring out how to communicate with hearing people. The fact that I knew ASL made it all the easier. Though Palestinian Sign Language and Arabic were her native languages, she had enough knowledge of ASL for us to get by. We became fast friends and have stayed in contact over the years.

I visited Halimeh when I was in Palestine in 2024. She'd since married, had two children, and was living in a village outside of Ramallah. Her husband had work; her eldest son was in school; and she was trying to find work doing embroidery. It had been a means of income for her before October 2023.

Since then, life has gotten much more difficult for most Palestinians, all the more so for Palestinians with disabilities. Halimeh's husband lost his job and neither he nor Halimeh can find work. What little work there is will first go to someone who can hear. And so Halimeh is asking for help.

Rent, food and school fees come to $800 a month. There is no telling if or when Halimeh and her husband will find work. But I'm certain they'd choose employment over charity if given the choice. Until then, our donations will allow them to meet their basic needs.

Hopefully the day will soon come when Halimeh and her husband don't have to rely on others for what should be rightfully theirs: an opportunity to work, receive a livable income, and meet their children's needs.