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

I volunteered in the center in Technology programme for approx. week and the half and really enjoyed the experience. Because it was so immersive, I was able to learn basics of Arabic language even in such a short time. I was able to share my "technology" experience with the students of the center and really felt that it made some impact. But be prepared for adjusting for the needs of the students (obviously).
I was staying with nice host family, which made me feel like a part of the family and provided me with nice clean room, where I could have my privacy.
In the center there are always some other volunteers/students, so you can organize the trips together on the days off.
Before arriving here I was having some thoughts about safety and staying in the country where I have never been before and without language skills. This proved to be completely unnecessary (although googling some basic words could be helpful). The city itself felt really safe and I enjoyed walking on the street full of caffees and eat a lot!
I would recommend to opt for longer stay (week or two is quite short to experience everything) and come hungry, as the food is delicious! If you are not coming in the summer, bring extra warm clothes.

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.

I joined the medical program for a week in September, and it was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life.

While I was there, there were so many organised activities for me to do. First, I was taken round the old centre, being taught about the history and culture of the people. The team member was very knowledgeable about the discrepancy in healthcare and education, paying great attention to prominent buildings, symbolism and infrastructure conditions. Visiting the nursery brought back memories of being in a very similar one, and I was also shown an excellent view from the rooftop of the old city. I also spent time receiving teaching with the other Palestinian medical students, and getting a tour of the hospitals (private, public and settlement hospitals). All the hospital staff explained their role and how things were run inside. I was even invited to see the new centre for imaging which had an MRI scan, CT and X-ray. Each day, I was taught about the politics of Palestine and more about the conflict which was upsetting, but also really helpful in my understanding.

I had several Arabic lessons which were very helpful, although intense. I continued to study Arabic when I got back to the UK. The rest of the staff were lovely and helpful, giving me advice on the culture and tips for learning the language. I was shown around the streets and shops where everyone said 'hello'. The centre is a small, close-knit community, and I enjoyed getting to know everyone, sharing breakfast in the mornings and having spontaneous conversations with everyone throughout the day. At the end of our stay, a group of us even explored the rest of Palestine including Bethlehem, Nablus and Jerusalem.

One of my favourite parts was living with my host family. I could not have been placed in a better family, who was not only a short walk to the Excellent Centre, they were the most hospitable, welcoming family I have met. I spent each evening laughing and dancing with the kids, eating with my host family, and joining in with domestic activities such as shredding leaves off a branch, and storing home-made jam. I found this hospitality and warmth was common with all Palestinian people I met. I felt safe and well cared for throughout the whole of my stay. One of my favourite memories was being invited to a celebration party and really enjoyed the dancing, singing and colour, as well as being taught how to use oil pastels.

I am definitely coming back to Palestine to get to know people in Hebron better. I would also like to improve my Arabic at the Excellence Centre for a longer time period, as well as living with a host family again. I would absolutely recommend that people go out there with an open, non-judgemental mind, and listen to the stories and history, getting to know the people and culture. Thank you to the staff at the Excellent Centre for making this possible. God bless you all!

Being at Excellence has meant a change in my professional career and in my personal life. The center really cares about the volunteers and prepares very complete activities. In addition, you learn a lot about human rights and the experience in the COMMUNITY PROGRAM and teaching in the fields has been incredible. I feel that I have grown a lot these weeks here. I have been able to learn a lot about the right to the press and the lack of opportunities for children in the fields. The center works very hard to give the best care to the refugees and it is a pleasure to be able to collaborate with them. They always send you the program and give you the tools to do the job properly.
Hopefully come back soon! I will miss you, guys!

During the short time I was in Palestine and at the Excellence Center, I not only felt very safe, but very welcomed by everyone in the Center. Even late at night I did not feel uncomfortable walking about the area around the Center and Ein Sara Street. Everyone at the Center is very kind and welcoming and I have really valued understanding more about the situation here. Also very grateful for the opportunity to see local businesses and visit the old town to understand more about the challenges Palestinians face there

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.