The Excellence Center Reviews

I'm Carlotta, I'm from Italy and I am 24. I've been one month in Hebron and it was a great experience and I had the opportunity to lear so much about the occupation and the situation here. The activities that I had were really interesting. All the staff and the teachers were amazing and always available to help me. I had the opportunity to visit so many places in the west bank.
The host family has been as a second family here. I've always felt safe and peole here are really welcoming.
The food is amazing.

i came to learn more about the human right in palestine and it was my first time in palestine so i needed a place where i could feel safe and learn in the same time. the center is located in the center of west bank and the people are the kindest and my host family made feel like home with her family. overall i am satisfied with what they offered as trips and programs that made me understand more about what is going on in palestine. Moreover, i had arabic lesson with one the sweetest teacher (douha) who helped strenghten my palestinian dialect and understand the roots of palestine through converstaions. thank you for sharing your values with us and being part of it.

I volunteered in the center in Technology programme for approx. week and the half and really enjoyed the experience. Because it was so immersive, I was able to learn basics of Arabic language even in such a short time. I was able to share my "technology" experience with the students of the center and really felt that it made some impact. But be prepared for adjusting for the needs of the students (obviously).
I was staying with nice host family, which made me feel like a part of the family and provided me with nice clean room, where I could have my privacy.
In the center there are always some other volunteers/students, so you can organize the trips together on the days off.
Before arriving here I was having some thoughts about safety and staying in the country where I have never been before and without language skills. This proved to be completely unnecessary (although googling some basic words could be helpful). The city itself felt really safe and I enjoyed walking on the street full of caffees and eat a lot!
I would recommend to opt for longer stay (week or two is quite short to experience everything) and come hungry, as the food is delicious! If you are not coming in the summer, bring extra warm clothes.

I spent 2 weeks at the excellence center, and enjoyed every single moment of it. Volunteering in the excellence center was a great opportunity to reach out of my comfort zone, and experience various cultures, with the kindest and funniest people around me. Also, teaching English in a foreign country was a huge challenge for me, as English is not my mother tongue, and as I speak neither German nor Arabic, but I am so glad that I made the decision to challenge myself in the excellence center 2 months ago. I was very nervous before I started volunteering at the excellence center, but once I started, I was so glad to get to know the people in the excellence center, my students, and the other volunteers. We had various backgrounds, thoughts, and cultures, and I would never have an experience like the days I spent in the excellence center in Japan. I would like to thank all the people that I spent time with at the excellence center in Europe. I had a fruitful and wonderful time. Thank you!

As a Muslim, I have always heard about what has gone on in Palestine and the injustices that Palestinians have suffered. I therefore decided to search for a programme which will enable me to volunteer in Palestine and to immerse myself in the culture.

Being a part of the Excellence Centre has allowed me to get involved dirrectly. Although the time was short, it really has helped me with my personal growth and I was exposed to a community I am not used to being a part of. This opportunity has had such a positive impact on me and I cannot describe the feeling of being a part of a community at the excellence centre and within the community itself.

The hospitality of the host family was next to nothing. They were absolutely amazing and I know I will miss them so much. I already cannot wait to return.

This programme that the Excellence Centre provide is amazing. I have felt like a part of their family here and I wish I was here for longer. Osama and Marwa are truly fantastic and I make dua that they are successful in everything they do.

I was thoroughly impressed with the Centre's organisation and how well they planned a personalised iternary for me. I was able to see and do a lot of the things I wanted to do for instance, going to the Blind School or visiting the camps. However, Osama also planned a few addditional activities that were extremely enlightening such as seeing a local artist.

I didn't know what to expect coming here as it isn't your typical holiday, but nontheless I was blown away by the hospitality of my host. Her family were so warm and welcoming, it almost felt as if I had known them from before. They were extremely accomadating, cooking food, giving us towels and creating a comfortable environment. They tried to get to know me even with their lack of English which was so lovely.

The Arabic classes dramatically helped in acclimatising to the culture and enabling even the smallest of conversations to take place. When out and about, a lot of the locals would want to converse creating a greater sense of warmth towards the people.

Though you would assume it is extremely unsafe due to a particular portrayal of the country, actually at times I forgot this was the case. The Centre did a brilliant job of making us aware of potential dangers if there were any. When we went to Shahada Street, we were told to take our passports for the security check point and allowed to visit a Palestianian family from this area.

The entire experience consisted of tears of happiness and sadness. There were moments of thought provoking discussions that enabled us to gain a better understanding of things from the eyes of the people. A genuine perspective of the reality of the situation.

I would highly recommend you make the visit to come here and see first hand how the country is like. It will be far from how you expect it to be and will truly blow you away with it's warmth. It is safe and hosts a great atmosphere. An experience of a lifetime!

Things we did:
Arabic classes
Taught English
Visitied Shahada Street
Met Nisreen and heard her story under the occupation
Visitied Al - Fawar campsite
Visited the Blind School
Visited a local Artist - Rani Sharbaati
Visited a Professor from the University of Hebron
Vistied Ibrahim Mosque and Mosque of Younus
Visited Jericho/Bethlehem.

I had an amazing time with the Excellence Centre. In just two weeks, I have had visits to numerous organisations, including women's organisations, hospitals, schools, law firms and other community projects. This has provided me with an in-depth insight into the human rights situation in Palestine and the challenges that individuals face. The Centre have an excellent teaching program in Arabic, which was useful for me as a beginner. I travelled solo and felt safe walking around Hebron. I enjoyed meeting volunteers from around the world and the staff were always welcoming and supportive. Thank you!

I joined the medical program for a week in September, and it was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life.

While I was there, there were so many organised activities for me to do. First, I was taken round the old centre, being taught about the history and culture of the people. The team member was very knowledgeable about the discrepancy in healthcare and education, paying great attention to prominent buildings, symbolism and infrastructure conditions. Visiting the nursery brought back memories of being in a very similar one, and I was also shown an excellent view from the rooftop of the old city. I also spent time receiving teaching with the other Palestinian medical students, and getting a tour of the hospitals (private, public and settlement hospitals). All the hospital staff explained their role and how things were run inside. I was even invited to see the new centre for imaging which had an MRI scan, CT and X-ray. Each day, I was taught about the politics of Palestine and more about the conflict which was upsetting, but also really helpful in my understanding.

I had several Arabic lessons which were very helpful, although intense. I continued to study Arabic when I got back to the UK. The rest of the staff were lovely and helpful, giving me advice on the culture and tips for learning the language. I was shown around the streets and shops where everyone said 'hello'. The centre is a small, close-knit community, and I enjoyed getting to know everyone, sharing breakfast in the mornings and having spontaneous conversations with everyone throughout the day. At the end of our stay, a group of us even explored the rest of Palestine including Bethlehem, Nablus and Jerusalem.

One of my favourite parts was living with my host family. I could not have been placed in a better family, who was not only a short walk to the Excellent Centre, they were the most hospitable, welcoming family I have met. I spent each evening laughing and dancing with the kids, eating with my host family, and joining in with domestic activities such as shredding leaves off a branch, and storing home-made jam. I found this hospitality and warmth was common with all Palestinian people I met. I felt safe and well cared for throughout the whole of my stay. One of my favourite memories was being invited to a celebration party and really enjoyed the dancing, singing and colour, as well as being taught how to use oil pastels.

I am definitely coming back to Palestine to get to know people in Hebron better. I would also like to improve my Arabic at the Excellence Centre for a longer time period, as well as living with a host family again. I would absolutely recommend that people go out there with an open, non-judgemental mind, and listen to the stories and history, getting to know the people and culture. Thank you to the staff at the Excellent Centre for making this possible. God bless you all!

Being at Excellence has meant a change in my professional career and in my personal life. The center really cares about the volunteers and prepares very complete activities. In addition, you learn a lot about human rights and the experience in the COMMUNITY PROGRAM and teaching in the fields has been incredible. I feel that I have grown a lot these weeks here. I have been able to learn a lot about the right to the press and the lack of opportunities for children in the fields. The center works very hard to give the best care to the refugees and it is a pleasure to be able to collaborate with them. They always send you the program and give you the tools to do the job properly.
Hopefully come back soon! I will miss you, guys!

During the short time I was in Palestine and at the Excellence Center, I not only felt very safe, but very welcomed by everyone in the Center. Even late at night I did not feel uncomfortable walking about the area around the Center and Ein Sara Street. Everyone at the Center is very kind and welcoming and I have really valued understanding more about the situation here. Also very grateful for the opportunity to see local businesses and visit the old town to understand more about the challenges Palestinians face there