Lifegate Rehabilitation

Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted. - Hebrews 2:18

Dear Friends,

Lifegate is an institution for the rehabilitation of the young physically disabled. The work was started in 1987 in Beit Jala/Bethlehem by a young German Burghard Schunkert. Our colleagues at Siloam in Germany support Burghard and encourage him to solicit funds from various individuals and organisations who are motivated to assist with the rebuilding of young lives of the disabled.

The centre handles such disabilities as muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, cerebral palsy and disabilities resulting from accidents. The unit also ministers to the deaf and dumb.

The rehabilitation programme is divided into 5 sections:

a. Vocational training:

Lifegate provides disabled people with vocational training which is undertaken in their workshops. Lifegate trains and teaches:
   1. Sewing and tailoring.
   2. Palestinian embroidery.
   3. Knitting.
   4. Shoe repair and upholstery.
   5. Carpentry and woodwork.
   6. Blacksmith skills and metal work.

The training time depends on the abilities and skills of the people Lifegate are trying to help. After training the disabled folk are encouraged to find work with the help of their outreach programme teams.

b. Medical Rehabilitation:

The purpose of this ministry is to see if there is anything that can be done to improve the medical situation of disabled patients since most of them are not regularly checked or seen by a doctor. The disabled are medically checked after two months from entry into the programme unless it is important that they require more urgent medical treatment. Lifegate arranges for the disabled to get physiotherapy treatment twice a week when required. Most of the checks are usually done in specialised hospitals in nearby Israel.

c. Social Rehabilitation:

Since personal independence is one of the main aims of Lifegate, they have developed the concept of individuals living 'in families' in independent flats. Four to six people live together, together with two volunteers. The disabled people live together as a family and try to do everything connected with normal life from cooking to cleaning etc... By living this lifestyle, as many as 20 disabled people can develop social skills to enable them to live more normal lives. They also learn how to use public transport and Lifegate encourages them to return to their families once a month to maintain contact.

d. Scholastic Rehabilitation:

Many severely disabled people have never attended school so most would not have been taught to read or write or even use simple arithmetic in their daily lives. This programme equips these disadvantaged folk to become numerate and literate and so enable them to communicate more fully.

e. Sheltered workshops:

Lifegate sheltered workshops provide the opportunity for the disabled to learn woodwork and metal work. They make olive wood ornaments and items to sell especially at Christmas.

Most of the disabled folk who benefit from these workshop facilities return to their homes each evening.

Lifegate accepts people between the ages of 14 to 30 but there are exceptions which can be considered.

Disabled folk are accepted only on the basis of vocational training.

There are usually two months in the training period.

Each disabled person usually pays a small contribution towards their costs and expenses.

Lifegate usually closes on official holidays.

If you feel motivated to give towards this valuable ministry, then your gift will be very much appreciated. By sending your gift via Siloam Christian Ministries, we can increase the value of your gift by adding in the UK Tax Gift Aid Declaration component if you are a tax payer. Gifts for this medical outreach should be donated to project 050.

Because of the nature of this work, expenses are very high but when many supporters come together in fellowship to give to this ministry, then the cost of an operation or medical procedure can be covered. Here is just one of the sad stories which can be related concerning how vital this work in the Middle East is.

Asma Izboun is a 33 year old lady who lives nearby a small mountain village near Beit Jala. The smile on the face of this severely disabled lady is often an encouraging surprise to visitors at Lifegate. Asma's life was changed forever after a tragic accident many years ago when she fell through the roof of her house while putting out the washing. Since this accident, Asma has become paraplegic which means she is totally incontinent. She has also lost one leg and spends most of her time in a lying position on a wheel bed.

Three years ago, Asma discovered that one of her kidneys was shrinking so it has to be removed. This dear lady is also almost deaf in one ear and she says of herself in her unbroken dry sense of humour that 'I have just one of everything'.

Asma was taught to work on a knitting machine by Lifegate and she returned home to live in her village. At present, she is producing mainly baby knitwear and she is selling her products to the people in her village.

Asma still comes 3-4 days a week to our sheltered workshop to continue work and training on their electric knitting machine. All these years, Lifegate have tried to get Asma's family to take responsibility for her care but without any success.

Every week, a nurse and physiotherapist visit and help with Asma's care. She has very sensitive skin on her back which is the reason she cannot sit for too long as she may develop pressure sores and which may develop into open wounds. But, for the prevention of further problems of her internal organs, Asma needs to be supported in a sitting position. Last year she received a skin transplant on her back which helped a little, there is also a special pillow she can use moulded according to her body shape, to reduce the danger of pressure sores.

The last 'surprise' we had some months ago was when the doctor told us that Asma had developed stones in her remaining kidney which now need to be removed. He has also recommended surgery for enlarging her bladder to reduce the pressure and to help Asma overcome her incontinence.

But, the problem is money. Because the cost of removal of her kidney stones and bladder enlargement could cost as much as £6,500!

The desire of Lifegate and Siloam is that Asma should have the quality of her life improved as far as possible so we ask anyone who is motivated to kindly help in this situation and other needy cases that Lifegate Rehabilitation are trying to help. Project: 050 is the purpose code to quote if you want to help 'Lifegate Rehabilitation'.

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