As each goal is reached for each phase we will continue to raise funds until the Bethlehem Pediatric Clinic is built! We have already raised the $6,000 needed for Amjad's education, plus $9,000 towards ground breaking costs of $25,000. Our total eventual goal is $336,000 for Amjad's education, site preparation, foundation and utilities, walls, roof, furniture, fixtures, plumbing, and a well to supply water for the clinic.

Amjad Awaad is a dedicated pediatrician from Bethlehem who has spent his life caring for children. He is the sole provider for his wife, three sons, and two daughters—all of whom are in school. Until recently, Amjad worked in Jerusalem, but events and new regulations made it impossible to continue his job, leaving his family without their main source of income. Despite these challenges, Amjad has remained committed to supporting his loved ones, growing food for his family and seeking every opportunity to provide for them.

Over the past two years, Amjad has continued to serve his community in Bethlehem, volunteering and providing low-cost services using his medical expertise to help children and families in need.

He has served about 150 client families remotely with phone and video and about 50 in person. He opened a clinic at his own expense, but had to close it because the children and their families could not pay enough to allow him to continue to rent space. The entire area has suffered financial set backs due to lack of tourism for the past few years, which had been the mainstay of the Bethlehem region. Amjad also had difficulty going to his patients many of whom live far away.

But Amjad is not discouraged!

He has been developing his vision for a new clinic that will serve children up to 16 years old, with a special focus on early screening for neurodevelopmental issues in newborns to 3-year-olds. The clinic will address conditions such as psychomotor impairment, ADHD, Autism spectrum disorder, learning difficulties, nocturnal enuresis, speech and language difficulties, obesity, trauma, fears, and anxiety, using both traditional medical approaches and clinical hypnotherapy. This 16 year old dream is a product of Amjad's research into children's well -being which he wrote about and published in several medical journals. (Donate and request a copy if you are interested!)

The clinic’s construction was carefully planned several years ago, and Amjad already has a conceptual blueprint and land for the project. His dream is to create a place where children up to age 16—especially the youngest and most vulnerable—can receive early screening and compassionate care for a wide range of developmental and emotional challenges. The clinic will combine traditional medicine with clinical hypnotherapy to offer hope and healing to children and families in Bethlehem.

Amjad was awarded a scholarship to begin training at the Hypnotherapy Training Institute (HTI) in California, where he learned powerful techniques to help children heal from trauma. Although his original donor could no longer support him, Amjad was determined to complete his training and bring these vital skills back to his community. He has secured help with tuition, and we have raised enough for his travel, housing, transportation, and food for the 17 days he will be in the United States! Amjad will come in September to the United States and complete his clinical hypnotherapy training and obtain his certification! (Also if you would like to meet Amjad in person he has arranged time during his visit to meet with supporters.)

Amjad carefully obtained the best deals on flights he could, and obtained low cost housing for his trip. We are so pleased this phase of the fundraising is complete!

A wonderful opportunity has arisen on the journey to build a pediatric practice in Bethlehem! St. Joseph's Medical Center, a well-known and well-supported institution, where Amjad previously worked in Jerusalem, is opening up a satellite location in Bethlehem. Amjad's friend and colleague Dr. Wael, an emergency room physician, who Amjad worked with and commuted into Jerusalem with before, will be the director of this new clinic.

He will permit Amjad to have a single office at the clinic and practice holistic pediatric medicine, including families in the treatment and planning. Amjad would work M- F 10 - 4 and the new clinic will do all the scheduling and collect the funds from patients. Amjad will only need about $5,000 in start up costs to purchase a computer for record keeping and communications, internet, telephone, for his home office etc.. The new clinic will give Amjad 70% of what it collects for patient care, taking 30% for their overhead. Amjad will need about $3,000 a month to cover the patients who cannot pay, and to provide support for his family. We figure about $50,000 is needed for this temporary solution for one year.

Amjad estimates that in a few months demand will exceed what he can do in the single office, as he would like to have more space to offer physical therapy, more pediatric services etc. He is exploring options for other space possibilities.

His firm commitment is to see the pediatric clinic built. He is interested in starting a non-profit to own and operate this clinic, but has had difficulty obtaining the requisite legal and other assistance to do so in Bethlehem. We are relying on his fiscal sponsor meanwhile to hold all the funds and disburse them as needed.

But this is a start!

Our next goal is to raise $50,000 more to cover twelve months of the temporary one room clinic's costs.

But we are still committed to raising the $25,000 to prepare the site for the foundation.

Further goals will be set for each of the following phases

The phases of the construction are:

Phase 1: Site preparation, clearing and excavating, including extensive soil testing, installing and compacting at intervals gravel for the base for the foundation. Estimated cost $25,000

Phase 2: Installation of the foundation including rebar reinforcement, and installing utilities like water, sewer and electrical. Estimated cost $75,000.

Phase 3: Building out the structure of the building out of reinforced concrete, installing roof. Estimated cost $100,000.

Phase 4: Digging a deep water well. Estimated cost $30,000

Phase 5: Building out interior walls, doors, windows, installing fixtures and furnishings, including plumbing and electrical fixtures. Estimated cost $100,000

Phases 1 and 2 must be done in the dry season.

Estimated total cost of construction: $330,000

We are excited that we have already raised $9,000 of the $50,

000 we need to get started with the temporary clinic!

Please consider giving an additional gift to get us going! And please share this widely with people of good will who have a heart for Bethlehem's children!

PS We have found a trusted fiscal agent: The Serbian Orthodox Congregation of St. John the Baptist will hold and and safely transmit funds for the Bethlehem Pediatric Clinic as each Phase's fundraising goal is met, at no additional cost. We are so grateful for their kindness and support!

I have seen firsthand Amjad’s compassion and dedication during our time together at HTI, and I know he will make a profound difference for the children of Bethlehem. Please join me in supporting Amjad’s dream to help children in Bethlehem heal and thrive. Your support will make a lasting difference for his family and community.