OliveAid

The Holy Land has long had a special place in the heart of our parish due to Canon Jim’s activity with the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre. The OliveAid project has in te last year become a pet project of the parish of St John the Baptist Purley.

The parish has so far sponsored an entire field of new olive trees near Bethlehem.

Thousands of Olive trees have been destroyed in the Palestinian areas of the West Bank and Gaza strip. Farmers have been deprived of their economic livelihood causing families to be forced into poverty. OliveAid’s aim is simply to restore the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people by replanting the Olive groves and providing families with a sustainable income from olives and olive based products.

We have identified over nine sites within the West Bank where sustainable Olive groves can be planted. Each site has been carefully selected and prepared to accept three year old Olive saplings with have been sourced locally and are certificated against disease. Irrigation has been secured and each site is fenced where necessary. Most importantly we have ensured that all OliveAid sites are positioned in non conflict areas ensuring the long term security of the Olives groves and their crop.

A local management infrastructure provided by The Institute for Community Partnership working in partnership with local farmers and the community monitors both the planting and the ongoing husbandry of the trees to ensure that they reach their fruiting maturity in seven years. OliveAid intend to plant 2,000 trees in the Apr 08 Mar 09 season with a further 3,000 trees next season.

We cannot accelerate the growth of the Olive tress but we can with your help maximise the number of trees planted this season so please give generously.

You can find more about OliveAid at http://www.oliveaid.com.