• In the West Bank, NEF constructed a large, up-to-code landfill, benefiting more than 3,500 households in an area plagued by illegal roadside dumping and the burning of toxic wastes. The landfill highlighted this year's vigorous environmental actions--making our program a model for the entire West Bank. NEF's "Helping Kids Cope" under the West Bank's continuing stress and violence expanded and over 2,500 children benefited from NEF teaching materials and school supplies, along with very important nutritional supplements through our "Cup of Milk" project. There was absolutely no absenteeism on distribution dates.
• In the spirit of community and charity, NEF's Ramadan and Eid Al-Adha feast food packages went to children and orphans, the sick and elderly, the unemployed and poorest families, inspiring West Bank local governments and village Islamic charity committees to provide yet more food packages for the needy. Same in Sudan where NEF was the only non-Islamic, Western agency participating in the Eid feast with local people in Darfour's Abou Shouk-El Fashir refugee camp.
• In Sudan's New Dar El-Salaam El-Rabwa, home to about 35-45,000 displaced Sudanese fleeing their country's violence and drought, NEF introduced credit facilities in 2005. They reinforce our reproductive health program--family planning, prenatal and postnatal care--with income-generating activities that supplement family income, improve nutrition, and increase access to health services for these refugees outside the capital city of Khartoum. Now in its second year of operation, NEF's clinic expanded general health services to include labor and delivery as well as advanced laboratory work.
• In Mali NEF takes particular satisfaction in the "remarkable breakthroughs" made over the past year against entrenched gender discrimination. Malian women gained power and equality. Of the 18 new, viable, democratic associations formed in 2005, only one excluded women. In the area of Bore alone, women joined 11 committees and were appointed to important posts--treasurer, inspector, secretary for information, for conflict resolution, for development, even deputy secretary general. Fifty women accepted these new responsibilities from among a total of 387 new female members in Bore's various groups.
• In Morocco's Berber villages high in the Atlas Mountains, NEF continued its educational work--particularly emphasizing literacy and basic math skills for girls and women. In nine months of intense activity the NEF project produced a virtual revolution in the perception of education among villagers in the eight participating communities. Over 300 adults--more than 60 percent of them women--are enrolled in adult literacy classes and numbers are increasing. Newly-formed Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), joined by women leaders from the villages, are collaborating with NEF to mobilize resources to improve schools and allow local graduates to continue their education in secondary schools in nearby towns.
• In July the NEF project in Swaziland completed a monumental childhood education task underway for two years, the publication of the community training manual, "Growing Children Straight and Strong." It was immediately put to productive use over the following months with training of key people, representing a cross section of gender, age and area, as well as a number of partner organizations both in and out of government. Importantly, the manual also facilitated follow up HIV testing in this country where 40 percent of nationals are HIV positive--the highest infection rate in the world. In the neighboring Southern African country of Lesotho, NEF's country director is deeply involved with AIDS orphans.
• Our largest project ever in Jordan, Qudorat (Arabic for "capacities"), in 2005 consolidated NEF's 15 years of capacity-building with community-based organizations in a country where we have worked since 1936. With a $2.5 million government grant NEF led sustaining these institutions and their contributions, while simultaneously encouraging local economic development. By the January 6 deadline, an overwhelming, 300-plus, community-based organizations from six Jordanian governorates had applied to be one of the 30 finalists. The winners were announced in Amman in April amidst much fanfare, official attendance, and press coverage. Competition was equally intense for the 20 grants for income-generation. Also in April intensive training began for more than 200 people, carried out by 30 instructors at more than 40 locations in six governorates. They presented their proposed business plans October 1st when the fascinated Jordanian Prime Minister spent an hour-and-a-half chatting and listening-much longer than scheduled.
• NEF's highly-regarded Center for Development Services (CDS) in Egypt continued its leadership of international development in the region, particularly concerned with government and the private sector. In what could become the largest agriculture project ever implemented by NEF in Egypt, NEF began reclaiming desert land west of Lake Nasser, that will enhance the health, incomes, and welfare of 2,500 small landholding families. NEF hosted 40 lead researchers/experts from six countries together in Cairo to address philanthropy for social investment and development. Ongoing since early 2003, NEF continued to unify the efforts of five countries in the Arab world at work with street children. A first for Egypt, a fixed-price people's market for the Al Mounib District of Giza (only Venezuela has a similar enterprise)...upgrading services to Egyptian children with disabilities and special needs and at-risk youth in both urban and rural areas...a public-private partnership affecting the delivery of health care nationally.... For further details on these and many other 2005 NEF stories, visit our website www.neareast.org.

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