Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land Says Water Project in Old City of Jerusalem Provides Clean Water and New Jobs
(PRWEB) July 19, 2013 -- A two-year project to renovate water and sewage systems in the Old City of Jerusalem has not only improved living conditions for more than 100 families, but has provided vital job training for new maintenance workers employed by the Technical Office of the Custody of the Holy Land, according to Fr. Peter Vasko, President of the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land.
The pro Terra Sancta project was designed to improve living conditions among Palestinians living in the Old City by upgrading antiquated water systems, Vasko commented. In 2011, during the first year of the project alone, the sewer and water systems for 60 homes were renovated, “providing clean water for numerous families,” Vasko said.
The final phase included an additional 35 homes and 15 general water and sewer systems, providing service to a total of 100 families, “mostly Palestinian Christians living at subsistence level,” he added.
The work was done by plumbers from the Custody’s Technical Office, and included nine apprentices who have since been hired by the Custody as part of its maintenance team.
“By training young people for better paying jobs, we are making it possible for them to remain in their homeland,” Vasko said, adding that pay levels for Palestinians is a fraction of what it is for Israelis. “Through education and job training we are slowly changing that,” he stated.
The Old City project was financed by the Italian Development Corporation and managed by the Custody.
Richard Sontag, Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land, 866-905-3787, [email protected]
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