“My name is Saloua from France, I have a Master’s degree in Human Resources. I wanted to volunteer in a foreign country to have an international solidarity experience, so I decided to volunteer in Palestine. I choose Palestine to learn more about the real situation of the country, to have the opportunity to help others, to know more about the cultural and human values Palestine can offer, and to discover the religious aspect of the country.

When I landed at Ben Gurion airport and passed all the passport controls I felt very happy. My stay in Palestine finally started. The staff of the Excellence Center called a taxi driver who picks up the volunteer at the airport.  The driver came to pick me up at the airport, he brought me to the new Excellence Center and then to my host family’s home. Hebron is about one hour from Ben Gurion airport by taxi.

My first impression about the security at Hebron is that it is a safe city. As a woman I have no problem going out alone. My host family’s house is located at about thirty minutes’ walk from the Excellence Center, so I go on foot. If I get lost, I ask Palestinian people and they answer me without problems. Don’t worry about the safety at Hebron!

During my stay in Palestine I want to visit the important cities and places of the country like Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the Dead Sea. Coming in Palestine to teach students is a unique opportunity, I want to meet several Palestinians to discover their culture, their way of thinking and their way of life. It is really interesting to discover other cultures and to have the vision of the locals about different subjects.

At the Excellence Center each volunteer has a specific task. Some have to prepare courses for the summer camps, others for the EC program. Often, the volunteers are teaching by groups of two. For example, for my first day I teach about the seasons and the “family tree” to little students of the summer camp. That was a great experience for my first teaching task! The students are very motivated and they appreciate learning. Everyone is very happy to give answers to the different questions.

Hebron is a typical Palestinian city with typical landscapes; there are lots of olive and grape trees. Living with a host family is a good experience, we can learn a lot about the life of the Palestinians and moreover have a real view about their culture.”