On Wednesday in Gaza City, the Palestinian Fund for Employment and Social Protection of Workers participated in the opining of the Gelati Social Project of the Association of Development of Palestinian Women. It comes within the "Peace Steps" project implemented by the Italian Land Winds Association "VENTO DI TERRA" in cooperation with PFESP and the Cooperation and Solidarity Foundation in the Gaza Strip, funded by Italian Agency.

In general, the Peace Steps project aims to promote comprehensive and sustainable economic and social growth in Palestinian societies. In particular, the project aims, through its multiple components, to spread and promote economic practices within frameworks of social solidarity and economic integration in order to provide job opportunities and achieve sustainable, inclusive, fair economic development for youth and women, especially in marginalized Bedouin societies in Area C.

At the opening ceremony, PFESP was represented by Eng. Mohammed Abu Zuaiter, Deputy Executive Director, and Noor Habib, in charge of the implementation and coordination of projects and programs, in the presence of dozens of representatives of foreign institutions, partners, and civil society organizations.

In his speech, Eng. Abu Zuaiter stressed PFESP’s readiness to support the associations in their qualitative building process through an integrated program that includes capability building and practical follow-up and the provision of a series of business development services. Abu Zuaiter also praised the Italian continuous support for such projects in the Gaza Strip, which undoubtedly contribute to providing Job opportunities for women in particular.

For her part, Cristina Nattoli, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, praised the important role done by PFESP in the process of training and qualifying the cadres and staff of the project and the Women Development Association. She emphasized that PFESP has sufficient experience to fully perform these tasks and this is due to its extensive work in this area over the past years.

Julia Askero, Director of the Peace Steps Project, praised the partnership with PFESP in implementing the project and its pivotal role in supplementing the targeted associations with the necessary expertise and training.

The Galatria Association is the first project of its kind that is distinguished by being a production project operating with social frameworks in the Gaza Strip. Efforts to establish this association were shared among all project partners, specifically the Palestinian Women Association for Development in the Gaza Strip and the ACS Foundation. The creation of the ice cream exhibition came after a comprehensive training process that resulted in the distinctive "gelato" product. The first of its kind in the strip. Depending on fruit and fresh milk directly from its source, using imported Italian gelato manufacturing machines, and training workers on them under the supervision of the Italian expert Ambrogo.