The experience of a lifetime

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.