Nafeesa Al Deek was born in 1940. Like many other women in her village, she was married to her cousin at the age of 16. While still pregnant with her third child, her husband walked out on her and immigrated to Brazil, leaving her with a difficult responsibility of raising two sons. Shortly after he had left she gave birth and had a baby daughter. Al Deek had to work and support her family. But since she did not have sufficient educational qualifications she became a seamstress.

Despite these challenging circumstances, she managed to secure a house for her family and to educate her children well. Um Hani, as people call her, began teaching sewing to young girls and women. However, she felt that if she had been educated, she could have done a better job. That is why she strongly supports girls’ education to secure themselves against the hazards of life. Al Deek is said to have learned many of the chapters of the Holy Quran by heart after overhearing the students reciting them. She decided to defeat her illiteracy by enrolling in one of literacy evening classes that were run by the local associations that she has helped to found. Now she is fond of reading celebrated classical poems by Jubran khaleel Jubran and Nizar Kabbani.

Known for her spontaneity and intelligence, Nafeesa Al Deek participated in many demonstrations against the occupation. She recollects one of the incidents where she was arrested by Israeli forces, and says, “I was arrested at the age of 40 when I started going to adult-literacy classes. The interrogator asked me why I wanted to study at this age. I responded to him, ‘Jesus says: learn from birth to tomb.’ I have raised my children to love Palestine, and I am so proud of what I have achieved. They beat me up, but I never felt down. I used my wittiness to get myself out of the difficult circumstances.”

With the aid of a German association, she orchestrated a group of women from her village to found the first women’s association to teach women sewing, needlework and cooking. This project helped many women to generate new work skills and to be self-dependent, a very demanding issue after the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967. The association employed hundreds of women from Kufr Nime and the surrounding villages.

Um Hani is considered a source of inspiration for her village, and therefore she has won the acclamation of all. She was involved in social and patriotic work since she was still young. She helped to accommodate the refugees who were forced to flee to her village from the coastal areas after the Israeli occupation of Gaza. “I have always felt that I am a soldier standing up for justice for my people, especially women and the less-privileged persons. I pledged myself to fight for women’s rights,” she said. During the 1970's she wrote a number of patriotic poems about Palestine and encouraged her children to rehearse them. Um Hani has played a distinguished role in her community, and has been incessantly supportive to the education of young children.

Journalist and writer, Etaf Yousef, says about Umm Hani, “Her brother died as a martyr, and she is also an indefatigable fighter. She has played a vital role during the Intifada (Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation): she sewed flags for young boys and girls to carry in the demonstrations and hid the Palestinian fighters from Israeli troops. She is not only the sister of a martyr, but she is someone who gave much more than what she had received. She is an astonishing and smart person who demonstrate an exceptional ability to tackle issues on politics and women’s affairs, despite her modest education.”

A representative from the Ministry of Youth and Sport described Um Hani, saying, “Um Hani is well-respected in her village. Her numerous contributions to the local community are unforgettable. She helped to found a nursery and sewing workshops that boosted the living conditions of many Palestinian families, and she is now head of the women’s association in the village. She has found her role in life though helping others in different ways and through breathing hope into their lives.”

Nafeesa Al Deek was a young girl when she was married to her cousin through arranged marriage. He subsequently migrated to Brazil and left her for good with her three young children. Despite these difficult circumstances, she has successfully raised her kids and they now occupy very respected positions in society. Nafeesa began her voluntary social work, one year after the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, by establishing a women’s association in her village with a grant from a German association, in order to help many Palestinian women survive during this hard time. Despite the fact that she was totally devastated by her husband’s departure, she believes that "If my husband had been there, I would never have been able to achieve so many things in life. I am proud of what I have done and will do." Nafeesa helped in the reconstruction of the village girls' school by raising funds through the association she formed. She has always advocated girls’ education as the fundamental step towards forming their identity and facilitating an independent prosperous future.

The 1967 war and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip brought suffering to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. Decades have since elapsed, but the Palestinian Women’s Movement has assumed a clear role in invigorating the new generations and preparing them for the future.

Kafr Ne’meh Women Society (KNWS)