Volunteer at a Refugee Camp in Palestine

In summer 2019 I spent 8 weeks volunteering with the organization, Volunteer Palestine. During this time I was placed at the Aida Youth Center where I was able to work with children, teach English classes to teens, adults, and women, and also assist with their annual summer camp. These experiences taught me more than I could have ever imagined. The camp became my home away from home and it was so hard to leave. By the end of the two months, I wanted to stay for the rest of my life. And that feeling is common among all the volunteers that Volunteer Palestine places. From before we even arrived to Palestine, Volunteer Palestine organized everything for us. From our housing, to trips, to placement, and even assisting us with finding Arabic classes, it was all planned before our arrival, making the transition smooth for us. This allowed us to begin volunteering once we arrived, and our coordinators were able to answer any questions that may have come up.
During those 8 weeks, I made lifelong friends that I still contact every week. I made memories that I will never forget and that I constantly tell people about back home. I’m sure my family here in America is tired of me talking about all my memories in Palestine now that I’ve been back for 5 weeks. As we went on trips and had cultural experiences and activities each
Friday, my knowledge of Palestinian culture, history, and tradition grew. I now make musakhan weekly for my family back home from learning how to make it during one of the cooking classes. My experience with Volunteer Palestine and in the Aida refugee camp was so great, I already started planning my next trip to Palestine, because I can’t imagine going a year without being in Palestine now.

The month I spent in Bethlehem while volunteering with Aida Camp was arguably the best month of my life. Not only did I learn about life under occupation in Palestine but I also had a ridiculous amount of fun and made friends for life both with the locals and other visiting volunteers. Working in the camp gave me the opportunity to see first hand the situation of the refugees and to absorb pure Palestinian culture. Despite working hard during the week, I also managed to do a lot of sightseeing and even went on a road trip with some other volunteers. The Palestinian people are the most friendly and hospitable people I have ever met and it was a privilege to be able to spend time with them. I highly recommend this experience to anyone curious about life in Palestine, Palestinian culture and cuisine or simply someone looking to practise or develop their Arabic and have a good time.

I was wondering is it worth to be there? especially that i traveled to different countries but when you think about Palestine you feel it's not safe but when you be there you have totally different feelings. It opened my eyes in many ways and I learned not be an egocentric person but rather to see and empathize with needy people around me. The people there are very hospitable, nice and kind. Delicious food make you eating all the time. The refugee camp is very safe for local and international because the people there are living like one family. the activities in the center where i volunteered in were organized, dedicated, full of knowledge, fun and informative. it was a great experience to be in Palestine, it's an experience to change your life „Volunteer Palestine“ is the right place to start your life changing experience.

My experience with Volunteer Palestine was life-changing. Volunteer Palestine gave me the chance to visit the country my parents were born in for the first time. I was able to volunteer with the Palestinian Medical Relief Society. We traveled to rural areas and set up mobile clinics. Everyone I worked with was so nice and welcoming. I made close friendships that I have held onto since my trip. I cannot wait to go back and reconnect with all of the amazing people I met through VP. I was able to see so much of Palestine in just two weeks and the leaders of VP were always available to help me and show me around Bethlehem. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to experience Palestine and contribute to some of the amazing work people are doing there.

There are more little bits and pieces to make you fall in love with a place than I could possibly ever tell. My landlord family who had me over for dinner every single day during Ramadan and afterwards we’d sit and watch silly Egyptian TV shows even though I understood nothing. The little girl who hugged me so hard and didn’t want to let me go when she saw me leaving the camp. The teenager who turned around on the bus in Jerusalem to stick a big bag of candy in my hands. The laundryman who gave me an arabic name and called me Zahra every time I went back. My merchant friends who didn’t want to sell me anything but just talk politics and drink tea. The woman who gave me bread at Qalandia because we’d been waiting for hours. Every single person that stopped to help me find the way even though I wasn’t lost. Drinking carrot and orange juice from the 24 hour juice place while watching the chaos at Al Manara. The 4 shekel falafel which saved me so many times. Homemade mujaddara. The music and fire at Hosh al Yasmine. I could go on for hours and I still can't possibly describe even a little what Palestine feels like. What made this experience unforgettable is that there almost everything is a lesson. You're constantly learning- not only while being at your desk or researching an assignment but also though your daily contact with the people and the place itself .In general I have never lived anywhere where so many people continuously and unconditionally offer help and encouragement at every corner, despite living under difficult conditions as they do in the West Bank”