Teach English and Study Arabic

My name is Gina and I participated in the teaching English program.
I stayed for over 2 months with a host family who were incredibly welcoming and made me feel at ease being a new place.

At the centre I had Arabic lessons which really helped me to be able to communicate in the city and beyond, by the end of my stay I definitely had an understanding of the basics.

I taught intermediate English to a group of young students over the summer and I think this was my favourite experience, I learnt a lot about Palestine through them.

The Excellence Centre also organised many visits to areas of Palestine I wouldn’t have seen if travelling on my own. We had opportunities to meet many different types of people and listen to their stories. The tours around the old town of Hebron and surrounding areas were really interesting and I really value the shared experiences I had.
It was wonderful to meet so many people from all over the world within the centre, there really was a varied group of volunteers, so a real cultural exchange. I made friends and we managed to travel around the country to Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jericho and Jenin.
The people of Palestine are incredibly kind and welcoming and there is a real sense of community here. I am sad to be leaving and would love to return soon so I can see the friends I made here.
Thankyou to the Excellence Centre for giving me an experience to remember for a lifetime