When a Comox Valley woman takes a teaching position in Cairo, Egypt, she engages with Palestinians who have escaped the genocide in Gaza. After her first year, what has she learned about these families and their lived experiences?
Bernadette Keenan has lived and worked as an educator in the Comox Valley since 2010. She raised her children, who both graduated from G.P. Vanier, before accepting a teaching position at a British school in Cair last fall.
Before leaving for Egypt, the escalation of the genocide occurring in Palestine was forefront in her mind, and so she connected with various organizations both in the Comox Valley as well as in Egypt. A collection of generous donations from Valley residents was brought by Keenan to Network for Palestine and the Meera Center where Gazan children and their families meet for support, play and art therapy.
Keenan has also developed a friendship with Maysaa, a 28-year-old mother from Gaza who fled with her two daughters. With support from North American donors, Maysaa and her girls reached safety in Cairo in April 2024, though she left behind her husband and extended family. Bernadette has been a compassionate link between the Comox Valley supporters and Maysaa's family, aiding them financially and emotionally.
Keenan, returning to Vancouver Island for her summer break, will share stories about the Palestinians鈥� struggles to adapt to life in a foreign country while dealing with the trauma of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Her presentation will take place on Monday, July 7 at 7 p.m. at the Weird Church, 2688 Penrith Avenue in Cumberland. Admission is by donation; all proceeds will go to the Meera Center and to Maysaa and her family.
This talk is co-sponsored by Mid-Islanders for Justice and Peace in the Middle East/Comox Valley, the Weird Church, and the Comox Valley Fundraising Committee. FMI: contact
