Meet Margaret Who is involved in the Volunteer in Palestine program: My name is Margaret and I am involved in the Volunteer in Palestine program. My stay in Hebron will be relatively short at two weeks. The events leading me to volunteer in Palestine are diverse and took several years to come about. I currently am studying political science and Arabic in college, so I had been introduced to the Palestinian cause several years ago.
A year ago, I spent six months in Jordan studying Arabic and refugee issues. During my stay, I met many Jordanians of Palestinian descent and visited UNRWA in Amman. My desire to volunteer in Palestine stems from this time. Having learned from Palestinians outside of Palestine, I wanted to gain the perspective of Palestinians from Palestine itself and discover the way of life for people in Hebron.
In choosing to volunteer during my time in Palestine, I was looking to give back to Palestinians. Finally, going to Palestine allows me to practice my Arabic skills and develop abilities in another dialect.
During my time here, I will take several classes in Palestinian Arabic. From the first day here, I have been spending a lot of time with my host family and figuring out how to navigate from my home (in the nearby town of Dura) to the Excellence Center in Hebron.
My day-to-day activities at the Excellence Center will include helping with English classes as an assistant to the teachers. Additionally, I will be at the English Club with another volunteer talking to students in English and building their conversational skills. After returning to the United States, I look forward to sharing the Excellence Center with my college’s volunteer programs and the Arabic department.
Personally, working with the Excellence Center provides me with the opportunity to improve my speaking skills in Arabic. After graduating from college, I hope to work for several years either with refugees and immigrants to the United States or as a researcher.
In either capacity, my time with the Excellence Center will benefit me not only through Arabic speaking but also through my experience teaching English. Finally, understanding the Palestinian cause and daily life in Palestine will be beneficial in contextualizing news and research.
Even though my time with the Excellence Center will be relatively short, I hope to make a difference in the lives of the students with whom I interact. Being able to communicate in English is a helpful skill, and I hope that my time here will give Palestinian youth good practice in conversational English.”
