MIRNA KHEIR "I'm fine, I just have a little anxiety, a little tension ahead of the birth, but otherwise all good, thank God." The birth of a child in Bethlehem, a few days before Christmas, after the long months of a pandemic whose end is still unseen. Mirna and Ramzi's expectation came step by step, in a city where life continues but needs increase. MIRNA KHEIR "We got married on February 28. Yes, right when the Coronavirus was coming here. When we were still engaged, I went with Ramzi to see our house, and it was in very bad shape. On his own, slowly, Ramzi fixed the house. It was a beautiful time when, together, we prepared our home and our family. Right after we got married, the pandemic came. With the closures, we lost our jobs, both me and Ramzi who now works occasionally. But when I learned I was pregnant, joy and excitement filled our lives. At Christmas, the joy will be double with the birth of our baby." Not even one tourist from abroad has arrived in Bethlehem for 10 months, so the main problem today is the lack of work. For young couples - like Mirna and Ramzi - who have suddenly found themselves without economic income, even the cost of hospital care for childbirth has become a difficult expense to sustain. VINCENZO BELLOMO Association "Pro Terra Sancta" Bethlehem "Our work, as Associazione Pro Terra Sancta, in these years - and this year in a particular way - has been to support the medical emergency, and therefore give people the possibility to access medical care. Above all in private clinics, because unfortunately the Palestinian health system is still very poor in many respects. Ours wants to be a presence of proximity, of closeness to others: we know that we cannot solve people's problems, but we can be close to people in a moment of need." The goal is to ensure a safe delivery for both the mother and her baby but, in some cases, families are also provided with milk and medication, or other support as needed. We start by meeting and listening to the people who ask for help, then Naila goes to visit their homes: this is the beginning of a journey that social worker and families face together. NAILA NASSER Social Worker Association "Pro Terra Sancta" Bethlehem "Our mission is to make people independent: so they have to share the expenses, always...they have to do their part. We know the situation is not good, we are facing a really difficult time, but being responsible is important. That's our goal: we want to make people not dependent on someone else, but independent." MIRNA KHEIR "I wish for my child to grow up in a city where the pandemic is only a distant memory, that his future will be better than ours and that our situation will also improve so that we can assure him a decent future."