Volunteer & Study Arabic In Palestine (1-13 Weeks)

I loved that it was so flexible and that you could bring your own ideas and wishes up what you want to do. I met great people with interstings stories to share, not only from the healthcare system but also other people from Hebron. And it was nice to spend so much time with the other volunteers as well (breakfasts together and them joining the activities). I think or this kind of programm (without teaching English) two weeks are a good timespan, I was here one week and could easily stay another week.

Introduction + the Palestinian People
I would like to preface this by saying I visited the Excellence Center in Hebron for three weeks from Dec 2022 to Jan 2023. I am in the last year of my college and came from the USA to study colloquial Palestinian Arabic. Upon arrival to Hebron, I was extremely shaken up from the intimidation, inconvenience, and blatant racism I faced at the hands of the Israeli border control since I am of Muslim and South Asian origin. However, it was absolutely astonishing how my feelings and mood changed as soon as I arrived to my hosts' home. The family had stayed up hours waiting for me to come from the airport and I quite frankly have never been treated better by anybody. They were incredibly caring and wonderful during the entire three weeks I stayed with them and truly made me feel like I was a part of the family. One thing many volunteers like myself have noticed about the Palestinian people (from host families to shopkeepers to people you run into on the street) is how remarkably kind, generous, and welcoming they are despite language and global barriers. I have had teens chase me down to give me my cellphone I had accidentally left, to being walked to 3 different banks by a local man to make sure I was able to take out money from a working ATM, to my Arabic teacher from the center getting me a chocolate I had once mentioned I always wanted to try, to many other instances where Palestinians have gone out of their way to be so kind and helpful to me. I have truly never experienced anything like it ever, especially coming from quite a generous background myself. Despite the hassle at the airport that prevents many people from visiting Palestine, the experience I had in Palestine was 100000% worth it and overshadowed the negative inconvenience and intimidation at the israeli airport . It is the Palestinian people that truly make me yearn to visit again.

The Center
My Arabic teacher Mariam was incredibly kind and patient. Her lessons were thoroughly planned and organized. She also asked if there was anything specific I wanted to learn and loved hearing my thoughts and opinions on different things. The 3.5 hours of class did not simply consist of us doing the same thing. She would switch it up to keep me engaged. Homework was also not overwhelming and would reinforce what we learned in class. The other teachers Doha and Saja were also very fun to be around and often took me and the other volunteers out to restaurant, spas, shopping, and anywhere else we wanted to go. The center also organized trips for students to understand the reality of the occupation which were all very insightful. The center is quite unstructured so you might not know what you will be doing until the day of. If there is something specific you want to do for the center or have an idea, reach out to the center in advance with your plan. You do have a lot of free time to yourself though so it is not too intense and overwhelming.

Traveling
It is pretty easy to get around Hebron. Everything I needed was walking distant from the center and my hosts' house. Going to different cities with the shared taxis and buses was also very affordable and easy. If there is anywhere specific you want to go or need help planning a trip, you can just ask the center and they will gladly help you figure it out. Many of us volunteers from the center would also plan trips and outtings together which was nice.

Food
Food in Hebron is cheap as well. It also tastes very fresh and is relatively healthy. There are a lot of authentic places for Middle Eastern cuisine as well as pizza, burgers, juice and smoothie shops, bakeries, and cafes. All the food I had in Hebron was delicious. Most Palestinian cuisine does have meat and dairy so if you are vegetarian or vegan, just let your host family know.

Safety
I felt very safe walking around in Palestine especially as a young international female who had a limited understanding of Arabic. If you get lost or need directions, almost any local will be glad to help you. Many people also speak English.

My name is Alicia, I am 22 years old from the United Kingdom and I came to the excellence center to participate in the healthcare programme for 5 weeks, however I went on to extend it to 7 weeks.
During my 7 weeks at the center, I did healthcare specific visits such as visits to hospitals, meeting healthcare professionals, went to a women’s rights clinics which had a healthcare center attached, visited the al fawwar camp where I visited the health center and went to 2 different nursing colleges. Additionally, I did a 3-part nursing workshop with nursing students. I also did other activities which were specific to other programs such as going to the tourism office, going to the human rights defenders office, meeting a lawyer, going to the special educational needs school, the blind school, the art gallery, the palmotion office, went to the H2 area, had a tour of the old city, went to the ceramic factory, the kafiya factory, the Bedouin villages, a children’s center, the women’s kitchen and finally I also had some opportunities to help the teachers at the center in their lessons.
Throughout my time here I had weekly Arabic lessons, I didn’t know any Arabic before arriving, but I know I have now progressed with the alphabet and being able to read.
I have found all the staff, other volunteers, and students at the center to be incredible. I knew before coming that it was going to be an amazing experience, but nothing could prepare me for how kind and welcoming everyone would be.
During my free time I also visited other cities such as Ramallah, Jericho, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.
Living with my host family has been one of the greatest experiences I have ever had, my host mum, host dad and their children are a beautiful and kind family and made me feel welcome and part of their family as soon as I arrived. Their extended family have also been so welcoming and have included me in everything they have done. I am so lucky to have met them all and truly feel like I now have a second family here in Hebron and I am already planning to come back and visit them, any volunteer who has the chance to stay with this family are incredibly blessed.
Hebron is a beautiful city, and its people are so kind, and the 7 weeks here has gone incredibly fast. For the majority of the time, I felt safe in Palestine and the staff were always willing to assist with whatever questions or help you need
There are so many things I loved about my stay here so it is hard to choose one specific aspect, however, the thing I will cherish the most when I go home will be the people I have met and the hospitality shown, the host family, the teachers, the other foreigners, and everybody else I have met have shown me a kindness I have never been shown before!
The most important thing I wanted to mention about the center are the incredible teachers, I think they truly make the centre and without them the experience would not have even been half of what it has been. They are the greatest group of people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting- Amani, Anas, Duha, Ibrahi, Isaac, Khitam, Mahmoud, Mamon, Marwa and Saja are so kind, caring, compassionate and never fail to put a smile on our faces! Getting to know them has been one of the greatest experiences and they are an absolute credit to the centre and anyone who has the oppurtunity to meet them will be very lucky.

My name is Esther Pérez, I am twenty-five years old and I am from Spain. I have studied the Degree in Journalism at the University of Valencia, and later I have done the Master’s Degree in Culture of Peace, Conflicts and Human Rights at the University of Granada. Currently, I have been collaborating for a year as a volunteer in Red Cross organization, as an external communication reference. I have done the Journalism program at the Excellence Center.

I arrived at the Excellence Center in Palestine a month ago, on September 15, 2022. I am a journalist for human rights, and in recent years I have been studying in depth the historical and current situation of Palestine, so I wanted to come to see first-hand this situation of colonization. I discovered the excellence center by chance, looking for different centers with which to collaborate on the internet. This center caught my attention because of the different programs they have, as well as the opportunity to learn Arabic, because that could help me to explore new stories around the world.

During this month I have visited many sites and had the opportunity to meet workers and human rights activists in Hebron, as well as local Palestinians, in the context of occupation. I attended the Grape Festival, made visits to the ancient city of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque, went to a Bedouin Camp, visited the Hebron Chamber of Industry and Commerce, a tourism agency, the Hebron pension center, different agencies and media, such as the WAFA communication agency and a radio station. I have also visited human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Defenders. In terms of education, I have visited schools: such as a school of art and culture, the Al-Hussein school, and a school of autism and for blind students. All these visits have given me extensive knowledge about the current situation of Palestinians in Hebron, from different perspectives: communication, education, health, politics or the economy. It is a great opportunity to be able to know first-hand how the context of occupation affects the Palestinian people living here in Hebron, due to the numerous checkpoints, Israeli military control and settlers.

On the other hand, about the Arabic classes, I have received during this month three hours each week. During this time, I have learned to have a basic conversation as well as introduce myself. Basic knowledge that we need in our day to day: numbers, days of the week, months of the year, adjectives, pronouns, determinants, some verbs and basic words. Now I am able to introduce myself: what my name is, how old I am, where I live and with whom, what I did yesterday or what I will do tomorrow, or what I study. All this knowledge in Arabic language I have been able to put into practice in my day to day, on the one hand, with the staff and other volunteers of the center, and on the other hand, with my host family.

Throughout my stay I have felt very safe in Palestine. I arrived with fear and something insecure, because the great number of news that comes through the media in Spain are quite negative, and only talk about violence and conflict. Also quite unsure by the questions on my arrival at Ben Guiron airport. But when I got here, everything went well. And little by little I got to know the lot of positive and life things that the city of Hebron has, as well as the hospitality and kindness of all people. Shops, restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, shops, the beauty of the old city... the city of Hebron, despite its complicated circumstances due to the occupation, is full of life and joy.All the staff of the center and the rest of the volunteers have always been very kind to me, and have made me feel very well when I have expressed myself in English. All the staff of the center is always ready to help you, and welcomes you every morning with a big smile. As for the rest of the volunteers, I return to Spain with great friendships. I have been able to learn a lot from them and their perspectives. And we've had great times together. It is very nice to learn from people from different parts of the world. In addition we have made several trips together, we have practically been able to know all of Palestine: Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, Ramallah and Nablus. I think these have been the best times I've ever had here
in Palestine.

In this paragraph I would like to talk about my host family, since the first day I have felt at home.And I have had the opportunity to try a lot of Palestinian dishes, I love Palestinian gastronomy! Both the parents and the children have made me feel like one more in the family. In addition, I have shared a room with Rachel another volunteer of the center, and I have been able to enjoy a lot with her.

Definitely, I recommend everyone to come to the center to do the communication and journalism program. Palestine needs ethical journalism, and it is a great opportunity to learn about the occupation situation firsthand, and then to be able to communicate and give a voice to the Palestinians globally.

I originally signed up for a one-week program in Palestine but extended it to two because of how much I was enjoying the experience. I was initially a bit apprehensive about safety but not only did the Centre always ensure that we were suppported, but the situation in general was much safer than I was expecting. The program includes multiple trips to the Old City, Bedouin and refugee camps, visits to local organizations, and cultural sites. Overall, I would definitelty recommend this program. The staff were always incrediby friendly and eager to learn about where all of the volunteers came from.

The volunteer programme at the Excellence Centre was a great way to get to know the city of Hebron and also a good base from which to explore other cities in Palestine. The staff were helpful and friendly and there was a very good sense of cameraderie between them and the international volunteers on the various programmes.
We were taken on outings to various parts of the city and the surrounding countryside which gave us a very good insight into the situation in Hebron under occupation. I found Hebron itself to be a friendly and safe city.

Hi, my name is Zoe and I am a 19-year-old politics and economics student from the UK.
While at the Excellence Center, I participated in the women's rights programme so I spent most of my time visiting different organisations and talking to women about their experiences living and working in Palestine. It was incredibly inspiring to see their determination and creativity, even in the face of such severe challenges. I especially enjoyed meeting some of the female journalists, both at the WAFA agency and at the Al Huriya radio station. At the core of the Palestinian struggle is a fight against supression of the Palestinian perspective
and narratives propagated by the media. It was shocking to
hear directly from these women about the ways in which the news agencies had been
targeted by Israeli forces; through forced eviction from the building, nighttime raids and
destruction of equipment as well as opposition in the field. While hearing about these
challenges, I was especially struck by their relentlessness and courage which really
highlighted the importance of the work they were doing.
The Arabic lessons at the center were very well structured, focussing on both reading and
speaking. Marwa was an amazing teacher and being able to apply everything we learnt
immediately talking to my host family and other people we met around Hebron made the
language much easier to remember. Apparently, I’ve even picked up a slight Hebron accent!
Staying with a host family was such a privilege as it allowed me to have an insider
perspective on the culture and feel properly integrated into the community. I was even
invited to join my family at a wedding which was an incredible experience!
The environment at the center is warm and friendly so I felt at home after no time at all. The other volunteers and staff get along very well and I have made many friends I know I will stay in contact with. One piece of advice is to try and be really open to trying new things and using all the Arabic you learn without worrying about making mistakes.
I felt safe most of the time in Hebron. There were a couple of times when we came back late
from visiting other cities where it had gotten dark, but the other
volunteers I was with were very good at making sure everyone got home safely. As with
everywhere, it is important to take precautions, but I felt safe enough to travel by myself and
found people friendly and eager to help.
While here, I also got the chance to visit some other cities in Palestine; Jerusalem,
Bethlehem and Nablus. It was really interesting to see the differences between the cities and
experience a broader range of Palestinian culture. I would especially recommend Nablus-
the Kanafeh there is world renowned!
After spending 2 weeks here, I would definitely love to come back! I have really enjoyed
getting to know Hebron and the people here and would like to spend more time travelling
throughout Palestine and further developing my understanding of the situation here. I have
been incredibly struck by the warmth of the people here and the beauty of the landscape and
culture so would definitely recommend visiting!

My name is Joshua Boyes, I am a doctor in the UK about to start training as a specialist in Obstetrics
and Gynaecology. I chose to come to the Excellence Centre to do the Medical and Healthcare
Programme for 3 weeks. For me, this involved visits to various hospitals in the Al-Khalil including a
government hospital, a private hospital and a newly built but non-functioning hospital. On these
visits I was able to meet with and discuss healthcare in Palestine with doctors and other healthcare
professionals. I was surprised to learn that the main barrier to improved healthcare is the allocation
of equipment to the hospital. There are plenty of very competent doctors that I met throughout my
time and their main complaint was not having the resources to do their job. The other challenge was
the sheer volume of patients in a cramped government hospital, while the new hospital struggle to

exist at capacity due to the lack of equipment.

After learning a bit about the healthcare situation in Palestine, I was then able to provide some
lessons to students at the local Hebron University. For me this was the best part of the whole
programme. The students came from a wide range of disciplines including medicine, nursing,
pharmacy, midwifery, lab science and biology. In these sessions I was able to share with them some
of my own clinical experiences and provide some training on communication skills, medical ethics
and academic writing. The students were very engaging and asked lots of good questions, I was
impressed with their knowledge and enthusiasm. They were incredibly grateful for the information I
shared with them. Through this teaching I was also able to learn a lot about them and asked many
questions about the healthcare system in Palestine. We discussed life at university, what they think
of the doctor-patient relationship in Palestine as well as ethical issues in both the UK and Palestine.
My favourite moment was seeing the students debate real ethical cases and present their arguments

for and against.

Alongside the Medical and Healthcare, I also received Arabic lessons from one the of the brilliant
teachers at the session, Saja. The lessons were really fun and interactive, and I learnt lots of useful
phrases that I could then use in daily conversations. The overall environment of the centre was
equally conducive to speaking Arabic, as there were constant opportunities to speak with others and
ask questions. To be honest, there were definitely times when I wish I was studying Arabic at the
centre full time rather than teaching medicine. Furthermore, this experience has given me a great
boost and inspired me to continue to learn Arabic so that I can hopefully come back and explore the

Middle East some more.

As for Palestine itself, there is so much that I could say or write. It is difficult to put fully in to words
all that I have experienced in Palestine and all the emotions that I have felt whilst here. Whilst
initially I was worried about what the situation might be like, I have had no concerns during my time
here. In all my interactions with Palestinian people I have felt welcomed and a desire to connect.
People have been incredibly kind and generous and approach life with a great joy. This has been true
of the Palestinians I have met but also the other volunteers. I cannot speak highly enough of this
experience and programme. On a slightly lighter note, the food has also been a definite highlight.
Every single dish that I have tried here has been delicious and full of flavour. My particular favourite
was eating fresh figs for breakfast, one day I managed to get through about 12!
When I applied to the programme at the Excellence Centre, I did so without any particular
enthusiasm or excitement. I was simply looking for something interesting to do whilst awaiting to
start my new job. However, the time here has far exceeded my expectations. Whilst it hasn’t all

been easy and there have definitely been challenges, I have really loved my time at the centre, and I

truly hope that I can come back some day.