A t just 27 years of age, Halimeh is the mother of six young children. Her husband is a laborer and looks for work on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes there is none. With about $100 to $130 to survive on each month, life is a constant struggle for this family of eight that inhabits the northern village ofTekrit, high in the remote mountains of Akkar. “We manage to get by with enough food so we don’t go hungry, but we can’t afford healthcare or education for the kids,” says Halimeh, adding that one child is handicapped and requires extra medical attention. While there is running water available, the whole area is devoid of a sewage system. Doubling as a bathroom with just a washboard and bucket to one side, the family’s cramped stone-floor kitchen adjoins a shed that houses a cow. The stench of manure permeates the air. About half
