Women's and Children's Development with Karama

My stay at Karama was a very interesting and of course a tough experience. The NGO is small, there is not many resources and the situation in Deheishe and Palestine in general is very tough to bear. The NGO is run with fierce principles and strong ideas, so during my time I have met volunteers that didn't like the experience. I would say that a volunteer's experience depends on its own position and openness to learn from the Palestinians - and not thinking you are there to teach them. Trust me, they know better than anyone else which problems they face and if you are open to learn and to open up to the Karama's principles and ideas, you will have the best experience and you will return with a lot of knowledge and good experiences. If you open up, you realize it is a very passionate NGO, that does an amazing job with the few resources available.

Its a very amazing experience to meet so many Palestinians, interact with them and learn from them. It helped me a lot to understand my own background better (half my family palestinian, but never went there before) and I am extremely thankful for the great time Karama and my host family gave them. I could practice my Arabic and learn more, also make the children smile and they made me smile even more. Sometimes tough, to see the difficulties they go through, sometimes not understand the situation, but always very warm and hospitable people!! I enjoyed the trips, saw many interesting things and also the center is a very nice place for the children to meet, play and learn. I had a few great weeks, so take a chance, and enjoy beautiful Palestine!

I joined Karama for almost 3 months in July 2011 and I have recommended many friends to consider taking time to visit Palestine and volunteer with Karama as well, as it was a great chance for me and I have met some amazing people. To give you an idea what my time was like.. in the first weeks we had many children in the center as they were having summer holidays. Together with volunteers from all over the world (all very enthusiastic, some little crazy people) and local volunteers we prepared activities, some made lessons, I took some sports and outside-games for my account. Saw some really talents with the football and base-bat and its great to notice how involved they are in football competitions from all over the world (Spanish? Come on..) They knew some German teams as well though.. But it shows how sports can help them see through their daily difficulties, and how a game can give them excitement and positive feeling. Despite the heat we tried to come up with as many activities as possible.

Later on, I became involved in the garden as well, since the center has a very nice plot of land (small though) and they are trying to make the most out of it, growing huge tomato plants for example. We took out some plants, and put in new seeds, and I was happy to help out with this. More great was as well I could take a few kids now and then, and I undertook some activities with them in the garden. Personally I think the nature has a lot to teach us, and it was my idea beforehand to do something with this in Deheishe as well. I felt very much supported by the director in this, as I saw Yasser believes this as well and I think its great kids can interact with nature as well in Karama. Its such a shame the land Palestinians have access to is still declining, since it is an important source of income but also of life importance that people can connect to their land and the earth. Even people in Germany forget that sometimes, but I met people in Deheishe who strongly believe in this and are trying in many ways to protect this land that is so valuable for them. It was personally a very deep experience to meet people who need to fight for their basic rights, and feel so deep connected to the nature..it was a great lessons and encouragement to me!! I also helped a bit with their rooftop gardens Karama established in the camp. These are small tubes with soil, and they gave them to a few family's in the camp so they can grow some vegetables for themselves. Another great way to help people connect with nature again and take hope in seeing a seed grow to a small green piece, than becoming a huge plant carrying zucchini..

All in all, I had a great time which gave me new insights and encouragement to continue with my normal job here in Germany.

It has been some times since I was here (first time, summer 2010 it was)! Time flies, but I remember Karama very well as it was my first experience in Palestine and the Arab world and one that made me go back very often to the arab world. I remember it as a very active but small organization, with lots of energy and many things going on always. The director was full of ideas, principles and with a strong commitment for his work and society. In the past years I have worked more in the NGO sector and from my point of view Karama did a lot with very little resources and under very difficult circumstances. Motivated and positive volunteers are key in the day-to-day success of a small NGO and from those I wish plenty for Karama!! I remember paying a financial contribution, and I still think that is very normal as volunteers are treated very well here when it comes to food and accommodation and you know you are helping out a charity. If you consider volunteering as someone in a rich country from Europe or America but do not like to contribute financially to a charity – reconsider your reasons! Yes, do not pay to large agencies (but pick a locally run one, trust me!), and for sure be critical when the director starts to drive a big car!! But the ones who have been there, will know this director will be the last one to get himself a fancy car. (and contact me if you have the proof he did by now!;)) Anyway, just my story.. furthermore the center had a nice building and many possibilities to establish activities, with computers as well, and outside area's. From what I hear and saw when I recently payed a short visit, things are still running in this way, and I hope many people will take the dive into Palestinian life and culture as it changed my outlook on life and I enjoyed the beautiful hills, cities, mosques and nature, delicious food and interesting people a lot!

I am 23 year old girl from Belgium, and I am currently taking a master’s program in Developmental Studies in Brussels. In April 2011 I came to Palestine for the first time. I had been closely following the Palestinian situation for about 7 years and last year I had enough of only reading about it, I wanted to see and experience Palestine myself. I don’t remember how I landed on this subject, but once I got involved with Palestine, it didn’t let me go. This summer I wanted to come back, to get to know the people and the culture, to learn more about the situation and to understand what it means to live under occupation. Moreover, I hoped I could do something positive and constructive, in addition to expressing support to the Palestinian cause. My stay at Deheishe and volunteering with Karama outstripped my expectations and got me still more involved with the Palestinian cause. Since I am back in Belgium, I tell the story of Palestine, to those who are eager to hear it and to those that are not so eager at first, because I believe it should be told. I organized a Palestinian evening for friends and family and in the next months I will go to a school, a lawyer’s office, a volunteer organization for refugees and inshallah to more places to talk about Palestine. I tell people about the BDS campaign, because every single person can contribute to the Palestinian cause. Lastly, plans are being made to take a group of friends and family to Palestine, as many of them got interested and concerned.

Living in Deheishe

When trying to describe how I experienced living with a host family in Deheishe, I would say it is indescribable. I have written and rewritten my experiences, because so many things are worth saying. For one thing, the unconditional hospitality and warmth of the people I met. It is something that is rare in the society I grew up in. I only stayed for two months, but I didn’t feel like a guest, I felt at home thanks to my wonderful family. The way my mother took care of me when I was sick, how her brother wanted to make sure I was fine during a power cut at night when I was alone in the house (he immediately came to our house to check on me, fixed me candles and woke up his wife to keep me company), how they all made sure I would never be hungry (and they managed extremely well by the way, I put on several kilos) ... They are one of a kind.

I arrived in Deheishe with my sisters, with whom I had been traveling in Jordan and the Westbank for two weeks. They stayed one night in Deheishe, before heading back to Belgium. Because we were three, we didn’t stay with my family, but with one of their relatives. This was already the first experience with the hospitality in Deheishe: our host slept outside in front of the door, partly because of the heat (it was August,) but also to let us sleep in his bed.

The next day I moved one floor down to my host family. During my first weeks there, it was mostly a woman’s affair as the brother of my mother, with whom she lives with, was abroad and as our female neighbors were around very often. I will always remember how we all watched cooking programs on TV together! At times it was difficult for me, because I only learnt some basic Arabic while I was there, and my mother only knows basic English, but gradually I think we managed to communicate well. She, her brother that lives right across the street and his wife helped me a lot with learning Arabic. And after the man of the house had returned, I also spent many hours sharing (English) conversations with him about Palestine, world politics and all sorts of things.

What was striking for me was that in Deheishe doors are always open (ours was literally always open, as the lock of the door was broken). People drop by unannounced to have coffee or tea, and the children run from one house to the other. As a result, it took me some time to figure out who lives where and which children belong to which family. Especially during the first month I was there, because it was the school holiday so the children didn’t have to go to school or study. Moreover, it was Ramadan, a family time. So often we had visitors or we went to our neighbors to share the break-the-fast with them. The most delicious meals were cooked, in impressive quantities.

Because of the wonderful time and experience I had with my family and neighbors, life in Deheishe sometimes felt more cheerful to me as it is at times. The lack of water or the power cuts are only practical examples of the encompassing reality that it is a life under occupation and in exile. But I will tell a bit about my experiences with this later on.

One story of many more that would be in place here, is about when my family took me with them to have a barbecue at one of their relatives’ house outside Deheishe. I found the ride to his house very amusing, I’ll describe why. Apparently for the barbecue we needed something from the shop, which seemed difficult to find. I still don’t know what they were looking for, but we stopped at every shop that we passed en route and every time somebody else stepped out of the car, went inside, came out again without the ‘thing’, followed by a discussion in the car, after which we left again to stop at the next shop. Maybe it doesn’t make sense to explain, but being in the car and observing without understanding was pretty funny. The barbecue itself was wonderful and I ate body parts of animals I had never tried before or even imagined they could be tasty. After we had finished the meal, or at least I thought we had finished, the barbecue host insisted I would try some pieces of meat. Some were delicious, some I didn’t like so much, but it was nice to sit around the barbecue and feel part of it. Even though I couldn’t understand much of the conversations (though my mother’s brother translated sometimes for me), I noticed the party seemed in a way similar to Belgian family parties. Sadly in Belgium and in other parts of the world, many people forget or do not realize that Palestinians are ordinary people, just like them. They have family parties, they go to work (if there is work for them), they sleep (or they can’t sleep when something makes them sad or angry), they dream, they hope, they joke around. Yet in the same time, in my opinion, there is a big difference between the Palestinians I met and for example Belgians, and this is their intense and conscious way of life. I guess we in the West are lulled and asleep somehow, due to all the rights and the economic development we have on the collective level, or should I say we had, while I feel like Palestinians are wide awake. They don’t have freedom, their rights are permanently violated, there is high unemployment, no social security system... But I believe the difference in way of life is mostly a cultural thing.

Anyhow, what I would like to say is the following: living under occupation and in exile is something I cannot feel as a foreigner. What I do feel is a dizzying contrast between the injustice and inhumanity of the situation caused by the occupying power on the one hand and the humanity of the people and the way they interact on the other. In my experience with Palestinians, I feel like they are somehow more human than Belgians, as in that we tend to reduce our way of life to earning money and not ‘wasting’ time. And in this rush we tend to forget to say hi to our neighbor, to take the time to know his name or to enjoy the company of a friend. Sometimes I wonder what the hell we are doing, but that is another issue.

Maybe you can understand it was difficult for me to leave my family and Deheishe, to come back to Belgium?

Working at Karama

On my first day at Karama, the children and volunteers shared the break-the-fast meal at the organization. It was overwhelming and chaotic, but in the same time intimate, and I knew immediately on which children I would have to keep an eye on… During the first weeks I volunteered at Karama, I gave Spanish courses and did sports, games, art and handicraft activities with the children. Additionally I took Arabic courses four times a week, together with the other international volunteers. Later on I focused on administration work, while now and then I assisted some children with their English or French homework.

What was interesting and often essential to me, especially when I was with the smaller children, was the cooperation with the Palestinians volunteering at Karama. It was challenging because I only speak a little Arabic and some of them don’t speak English, but playing with the children together with them was great. In general I enjoyed spending time with the Karama children a lot. They are straightforward: if they don’t like your idea for a game or activity, they will tell you. And they test you in the beginning. Once you’ve more or less earned it, they respect and appreciate you. But I believe this is how it works with all children. One thing I won’t forget is how some of the older ones helped me out when I needed them, for example during the few days I was the only international volunteer at Karama. Another moment of the many I will remember is when it rained, it was the first rain after the summer. The international volunteers got a bit cranky and stayed inside, while all the children were thrilled and ran outside. They played in the rain and collected the water that was flowing down the street in bottles to throw it at each other. And I was lucky to be there at harvest time, to pick the olives from the tree in the Karama garden together with some of the children.

Lastly, there is my beautiful experience with Karama’s director. During my last month at the organization, I spent a lot of time in his and in the other office as I was mostly doing administration work. For hours and hours I racked my brain on technical problems with the website, so I didn’t always feel as useful as I would have wanted to. But what is of great value to me is that he shared much of his experience with me. I learnt many things from him, that I will carry with me in my heart and mind.

Traveling in the Westbank

Before coming to Deheishe for two months I had been in Palestine for about ten days. At that time I came with a Belgian organization that set up the trip and the program together with a Palestinian travel agency. The program was mainly political, consisting of meetings with NGOs, political parties and different kinds of organizations and people. This first experience with Palestine was an eye-opener, seeing the settlements, the checkpoints, the bypass roads, the road blocks, the soldiers. At once, it became very concrete and real, while before I could only imagine in my head how it was like. But the trip was only ten days and with a packed program, so we didn’t have the opportunity to truly get in touch with the Palestinian society and culture, with the Palestinians and their ways of life. Luckily, I got this chance later on, because it is a pity to let this side of Palestine slip!

I returned to Palestine with my sisters about a week before I would start to volunteer at Karama. We stayed in Bethlehem in a lovely hotel, where we immediately got in touch with the Palestinian hospitality (they really made us feel at home). From Bethlehem we went one day to Hebron, with a Palestinian guide, because I think you have to hear the stories when you go to Hebron. For me the situation there shows well what the Zionists have in my mind for the Palestinians and it is a model example of how apartheid looks like. At least in H2, the part of Hebron that is under Israeli control, because the other part is alike other cities in Palestine: lively and buzzing, many shops and little markets, many people on the streets, busy traffic, mostly taxis, lots of food being bought and sold. Furthermore, we went to Ramallah for one night and made a little trip to Taybeh, we went to Jerusalem for one day and of course we spent some time in Bethlehem.

What is wonderful in Palestine, beside its people, is to be on the go by car. Not so much on the highways that connect the Palestinian cities, because there the landscape is offset by the settlements, but on the minor roads. I like the hilly and sometimes rough scenes, the donkeys by the side of the road, the olive trees, the banana and orange trees near Jericho and I like to see the villages in the distance. Maybe it’s odd, because they shouldn’t be there, but I like the view of the black water tanks on top of the roofs of the houses. It’s something I associate with Palestine. On the trips I made organized by Karama (while volunteering with them), to Hebron, to Jericho and the Dead Sea, to Nablus and to Ramallah, I very much enjoyed this being on the go. Traveling is so much more interesting when you are with Palestinians explaining, describing and telling stories, on the road as well as in the cities itself. So as a Karama volunteer, I was lucky to have these experiences.

When my time as a volunteer was finished, my parents came to Palestine. They met my family, they saw Karama, they saw Deheishe, they saw our house. The brother of my mother came with my parents and me to Ramallah, to Nablus, to Hebron, to Jericho, to Solomon’s pools, to Herodium, to Bethlehem to see the wall and to Aida camp. It was wonderful to travel around with him and he is a fantastic guide. In one week, he showed and told us a lot, so it was an intense, absorbing and surely an eye-opening experience for my parents. Like my stay in Deheishe and at Karama was for me. This is why it was brilliant to be able to share it with them.

Actually, it was my first volunteering experience and I have nothing to compare, but this was great. First, I was attracted by the opportunity to learn more about Palestine and to finally visit this country. Second, I liked the programme's easy application procedure and appropriate participation fees:)
All my main worries were about work with children, as I had no experience and we didn't study it at our Trade University:) However, children left me only good memories about these happy days. Sometimes one can be upset by thinking that children cannot understand activities and may be one's idea was bad, but next day they can start surprisingly do the same by themselves without any help! And of course, it's great to study them something new, see their happy smiles when they want to share with you their new small but very important for them achievements.
Further, such volunteering is the best way to open the country, to learn more about its people, their lives and traditions. Only there it's possible to understand that in fact life is much easier than we used to think in our "civilized" societies, that happiness is not in some up-to-date electronics or expensive clothes and a huge amount of strange rules and stereotypes that we create everyday, but in our open hearts, real communication, families, best friends who are realy glad to see you everyday. It was also so interesting to find similarities in our cultures and to study Arabic of course! Now I'm so proud of being the only person among my friends who's able to read arabic and... to write these "mysterious" symbols)
Finally, living in Palestinian family is something speial. I didn't feel myself as a guest or a stranger. I was a part of a big lovely family, at the home that was always full of life by children and guests. As for Palestinian food, I can discuss through the whole day this amazing food prepared by our host family's mother, who is, I strongly beleive, the best cook!
Now I often think about any possibility to come back for some longer time to see again these honest and open people, feel again this aroma of Palestinian coffee and spices, to spend the whole energy for creation some new ideas for activities with children in order to receive the main prize - their smiles.