Teaching with Volunteer Palestine

My name is Sarah, I am a current postgraduate student at the University of George Town in USA. I had the opportunity to travel to Bethlehem city, Palestine with Volunteer Palestine last summer for a three months program. This opportunity has given me more than I ever could have hoped for when initially signing up for my VP program. In my three months, I volunteered with young children, increased my Arabic skills, and made friends from all around the world. The volunteer work in VP was not easy, but it was extremely rewarding, fun and an overall learning experience for everyone involved. When attending this trip, I knew I would be giving back to the community; but what I didn’t know, was truly how much the community would give to me. Since my time in Palestine, I have learned new things and been exposed to new situations, people and culture. I can only hope that I will have another opportunity like this one again sometime in my life. If you are interested in travel and volunteer, VP is the organization for you.

I was a volunteer with VolunteerPalestine this past summer in July 2018. I worked with the Aida youth center located in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem. When I arrived, there was a summer camp held by the youth center for the kids of the camp, this summer camp was held in one of the UNRWA schools of the camp and was a 4 week camp, I was able to participate in the last 2 weeks of the camp. The summer camp was meant to provide an alternative learning environment for the kids of the camp by offering them classes in music, arts and crafts, sports, culture, and photography. I was a teacher assistant for the music class along with one of the teachers (who was from the refugee camp) and another volunteer. We set up the music class for the kids based on age groups, for younger kids (7-10), we prepared them for the musical scale and sang Palestinian songs, whereas for the older kids (10-14) we tried incorporating the music into plays with beats and rhythm. After the summer camp was over, I worked at the Aida youth center, which was established by grassroots organizers from the camp. At the center I would arrive every morning (6 days a week) and conduct english classes for kids who enrolled with the center. There was no specific structure for the center and it was a more relaxed environment than in the summer camp. In general I would work around the center, other than english classes, with logistical stuff and planning some events and activities for the kids. I was able to make many friends, including from the youth center and outside, so normally after work I would meet up with my friends at a cafe or bar.

Overall, working at Aida Youth Center allowed me to critical understand the situation through first hand experiences. It allowed be to see the resilience and resistance of the people of the camp and the Palestinian people in general. Volunteering at Aida Youth Center is a fantastic way to display solidarity with the Palestinian cause and learn more about it.

Reem - Montreal, Canada

I volunteered with Volunteer Palestine for five weeks in the summer of 2018. I was located in the Aida refugee camp, where I worked both in the Aida Youth Center and at the local UNRWA elementary school. I stayed at a shared apartment in Beit Jala. My primary responsibility was to teach music with Sanabella, a music student who grew up in the Aida camp, in a 10-day summer camp hosted at the UNRWA school for about 130 children. While overwhelming at times, it was an incredible experience. The children were enthusiastic, energetic, and compassionate. The people of Aida welcomed me with open arms, and I enjoyed my time in Palestine so much I delayed my departure by a week. I made friends I still communicate with, and am actually meeting up with a fellow volunteer in February this year. Looking forward to my next visit to Palestine, and am itching to reunite with my Aida family. :)