Basic houses like this one have been built by the families near their fields in Beit Al Faqs. They reside here in the summer and during the harvest. The distances to the village would be long, and they want to save the time. And besides, it is safer if someone from the family is on site.
Day-to-day life mostly takes place outdoors. The service water for household chores comes from the irrigation canals or simple rainwater storage tanks.
For generations, Ali Osman family lives from fruit growing. Grandchildren, children, generations of parents work together. When heavy work is needed, neighboring families also support each other.
His job is to operate the irrigation canals in Beit Al Faqs and two other villages from June to September. He opens the sluices and directs the water to the individual fields. He also collects the water fees from the fruit farmers.
Khodor Ahmad Lagh is now 74 years old. However, retirement is not an option to think about. "We face so many challenges," he says of the current economic crisis, which he is clearly facing. His salary is only enough for the first ten days of the month, he says; fortunately, one of his sons sends him monthly support from abroad in hard currency.
Khodor Ahmad Lagh's living space is unpretentiously furnished. But money is also scarce for the families who grow fruit. "Some have already abandoned their farms."
In an interview with arche noVa, the 74-year-old emphasizes how much the irrigation project improves the situation. Much more water reaches the fruit trees much faster and thus contributes to good harvests. The system is much more efficient, he says. For the future, he hopes that not only aid organizations but also the government will focus on the people who are most vulnerable.
