The Excellence Center

My time at the Excellence Center was life changing in so many ways. When I first made plans to join the Medicine and Healthcare volunteer program, I only planned to stay for a little over two weeks. As I neared the end of my time, I knew there was still much more I needed to learn from Palestine and its people. I ended up extending my stay by another eight days, and I am so grateful that I did. Every moment I spent in Palestine was so enriching and wonderful. My only regret is that I could not stay even longer.

First and foremost, I am so grateful to the Palestinian people for welcoming me everywhere I went. From Hebron, to Bethlehem, to Jericho, to Al-Fawwar refugee camp, the hospitality and generosity was unmatched. One must be prepared to accept lots of tea, coffee, and sweets from locals! Often I was invited to lunch at people’s homes after meeting them only once. There is a strong sense of community and safety everywhere in Palestine. It is evident that everyone feels a responsibility to take care of one another, especially guests.

Visiting Palestine was both culturally and spiritually enriching. There are so many cultural and historic sites to see across the land. Every region has something - the only problem was deciding which places to visit during my limited time in the country! However, the Excellence Center goes above and beyond when it comes to arranging tours, especially within Hebron. Not only do you get to tour fascinating places, but they also provide lots of background information and opportunities to interact with locals. This is unlike many ultra-curated, “touristy” experiences in the Holy Land, which tend to avoid the realities of the occupation and apartheid and how these systems affect the lives of real people.

As a volunteer with the Medicine and Healthcare program, I also bore witness to the realities of medical apartheid in Palestine. In most areas of the West Bank, Palestinians are not allowed to build hospitals or clinics, even on land that they own. The Excellence Center connected me with the Palestinian Medical Relief Society and the Green Land Society, which have offices based in Hebron and send mobile clinics to areas where there are no medical facilities. I also spoke with many healthcare professionals who told of how, even in areas with medical facilities, resources are limited, including several crucial medications which are blocked from being imported into the West Bank. And yet, Palestinians are among the most resilient and resourceful people, finding ways to take care of each other in spite of all these barriers.

I came to Palestine and the Excellence Center expecting the experience of a lifetime, and yet I could never have been prepared for just how awesome it would be. I already hope to return someday. Everything about the experience - the Arabic lessons, the tours, the volunteer opportunities - was top tier. I gained new stories, friends, and perspectives, but I also gained a new home and family. To anyone with an open mind and adventurous spirit, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Excellence Center. You will never be the same.

I stayed at the Excellence Center in Hebron for 5 days and worked as part of the Health and Medical Program. During my time there, I had the valuable opportunity to learn about the health conditions of refugee families in the region. Visiting the refugee camps and local hospitals was a truly eye-opening and meaningful experience that gave me deeper insight into the challenges faced by these communities.

Communication was very good but communication regarding travel and daily schedules with the volunteers can be improved. More clearer coordination would make the experience smoother and more organized.

Overall, I had a very rewarding experience and would definitely recommend the program to others who are interested in health, humanitarian work, and learning about Palestinian society.

When I first applied to the medicine programme, I did not know what to expect. My perceptions of Palestine were that it was a dangerous place to visit; my friends and family advised me not to go.

Against their advice, I decided to go anyway, I was scared but also excited and curious.

My route into Palestine was not a conventional one; I flew into Jordan and then stayed for a few nights before crossing the border from the south.

I arrived in Jerusalem and from there to Hebron via Bethlehem. Before coming here, I would have thought it would be a place where there was little to no activity, but when I came, I was pleasantly surprised to see how busy it was; it had the hustle and bustle of any major city.

I was welcomed warmly by the Excellence Centre staff and felt right at home straight away.

The rest of the days consisted of visiting hospitals and refugee camps to see the reality of Palestinian life and healthcare. This experience was a bittersweet one as I felt so welcome by the Palestinians but also sorrow at the harsh realities of living here. I can’t thank the excellence centre staff enough for how rewarding they have made my visit here, I felt completely safe and welcomed throughout my time here.

My advice to people who are on the fence about visiting would be to take the leap and experience the reality of Palestinian life first-hand.

I've spent the last three months with the Excellence Center, and it has been without a doubt the best decision of my life.

I arrived not really knowing what to expect and was quickly swept away by the kindness, the generosity, and the very welcoming nature of the Palestinian people. This is especially so when it comes to the staff at the Center. I felt so looked after, so at home, and so safe in the environment that they have created.

My program was a writing program, and I learned so much about Palestine, the occupation, the history, and the daily resilience of the people through writing about them each week. In addition to this, I was very proactive in travelling a lot across Ramallah, Jerusalem, Jenin, Nablus, Jericho, Tel Aviv and Haifa - so I got to see a lot of the area and meet a lot of interesting people from different walks of life. I was also proactive in organising time in the South Hebron Hills, where I was able to spend time with a wonderful community that really enriched my time here.

The thing that stands out to me most about my time here - more than the amazing food, more than the lovely markets, more than the many historical and religious sites - was the people. You can feel their resilience even in the act of living. I was continually blown away by their hospitality and their determination.

I'm not going to lie, it's heavy here. It's one thing to hear about the occupation, and a completely other thing to see it for yourself - hear the stories of how it impacts the lives of literally everyone here. But the sadness of it all is balanced out by the depth of the people and their love for the land. It's an incredible thing to witness.

If you're looking for a tightly scheduled and structured program, look somewhere in Europe. If you're looking for an immersive experience that lets you see the whole heart of this place and its people, meet incredible individuals, get to know the community, and get unique and direct insights into life under occupation in Palestine, then this is the place for you. Come with an open mind and an idea of what you want to get out of your time here, and you will not be disappointed.

I feel forever changed by this place, and I'm counting down the days until I can return. Huge thanks to everyone here but especially Marwa and Osama for making everyone feel like part of their family.

When I first signed up to this programme, I was as nervous as could be. It was my first time travelling outside the UK alone and I had no idea what to expect but the moment I walked through the doors of the Excellence centre I was welcomed like I was an old friend. The team managed to dissipate any kind of fear or hesitation I had from the first day. Everyday after was better than the last. I got to meet people from all over contribute to the community by teaching English and study German all at the same time.

Studying German was one of the aspects I was most nervous about, it was something I had always been bad at school. Yet with both an absolutely phenomenal teacher and the other volunteers to practice with I found myself not only feeling a real sense of progress in learning the language but genuinely having fun.

Teaching English was another great part of the programme, we had both help in teaching but equally alot of freedom to teach as we thought best suited our students and their needs. Additionally it felt like a collaborative effort where we as the volunteers would constantly exchanging ideas for lessons and directions we could go for our different students.

My absolute favourite memories at the centre have to be the breakfasts. Being able to sit down as a group and share a meal is such a great way of getting everyone to gel together and become friends, I don't think there was a single breakfast where we weren't all laughing together at some point or another.

The excellence centre has an absolutely wonderful team who gave me an amazing experience. When my time at the centre was finished I was already thinking of when I could next return.
I genuinely cannot thank everyone at the centre enough for the experience they gave me.