By Lisa Abu Shanab, World Vision JWBG

Cows moo softly behind us and olive trees, stone houses, and fields surround us in the village of Aboud in West Ramallah. In any other place the cows standing side by side in the small building structure that serves as a housing shed would not be anything out of the ordinary. But here in Aboud, these cows represent so much more than just the milk they produce.

Sitting and standing with us in the housing shed are some of the 20 women responsible for the cow farm, supported by World Vision's West Ramallah Area Development Programme. Both Christian and Muslim, their presence represents the hope and co-existence that is found here.

With a majority of households living below the poverty line, the cow farm, generating an approximate 40 litres of milk per cow, provides the women and their families with a much-needed source of nutrition and income.

One of the women adamantly declares that the women of the village "...used to buy milk outside the village. This project is very important... milk, cheese, yoghurt, everything we can do!"

When asked for the name of their society they have formed, the women laugh, saying none has been chosen. Nonetheless, the commitment and friendship among these women is visible. Mother of five, Nuha Ahmid, is a woman with incredible presence and a discerning gaze. Smiling, she talks of the help this cow farm project has been to her and the families of Aboud.

Not only does the project help them, but it gives them a sense of empowerment, making their surroundings and the effects of the occupation a little bit more bearable. Working together with the women that have become close friends, Nuha, a Christian, talks about the relations between Muslims and Christians in the village.

"Our houses are next to their houses, our trees are next to their trees... we don't have problems and we work and live together."

Known as the "City of Flowers" and more than 2,000 years old, the village of Aboud used to be home to five churches. Following the damages of time and those of the occupation, only two remain- St. Mary's Church and the Church of Aboud, as well as a few mosques.

With an estimated population of 2,000, of which about half are Christian and half Muslim, Aboud is a "shrinking village". According to villagers and human rights groups, Aboud is losing its land and its people because of the Israeli occupation. Israeli forces have seized hundreds of acres of land in recent years in order to build the nearby separation barrier and restrict Palestinian movement around Israeli settlements. Villagers are leaving because the loss of land and the restrictions on movement curtail their ability to be economically productive. Many go abroad.

Despite all this, there is still a sense of hope and beauty that lingers in the village.

By the end of our meeting, the newly named "Aboud Women's Society" proudly leads us out of the small housing shed. Looking back, seeing Nuha, and all the women, standing side by side, some veiled, others not, their sense of accomplishment is almost palpable. At the same time I feel the burgeoning need this village and others like it have for projects encouraging this sense of empowerment and co-existence so successful in this small group.

Reuters AlertNet is not responsible for the content of external websites.