“As a female volunteer in the Excellence Center, I have been placed with a host family in Hebron and I would like to share this experience- not just from my perspective, but also from my host family’s.

I have lived with my host family for 2 weeks. They are really nice, and their hospitality is amazing. They have already hosted several volunteers in their house, and they say that they really enjoy their time with international people and find it very valuable.

My host mum shared with me her opinion that one of the advantages they gain by hosting internationals improved English within their family. The kids, especially, can speak English quite well thanks to their interactions with internationals; I was very surprised by their level when I first spoke to them. My host family also says that it is very interesting to get to know new cultures and hear stories from different countries, for example how life is there compared to life in Hebron. These experiences encourage my host family to travel out of Palestine, and wherever they are going, they already have friends from several countries. It is always easier and more convenient to travel to a country where you know somebody over there, so they can discover the country with the locals instead of just being the tourists. This is something that my family appreciates as well.

My host family also tries to show the internationals local cuisine, so they can experience all the different food here. That is really good, because the local food is very diverse! My family also takes me on trips, for example to the mountains and to visit their relatives. They are simply doing their best to make me feel like one of the family members. Living family life here has a lot of advantages, because you can not only see, but also live as a Palestinian does on a daily basis.

The hospitality in Palestine is something totally new for people coming from the West; you never feel as if you disturb anyone, and they always make sure you feel comfortable and safe. Sometimes, you feel that you don’t have your own space because you spend most of your free time with your family, but in to my opinion that is exactly the reason why we are come to Palestine– to live a different life than we do at home ☺

I think The Excellence Center is doing an amazing job searching for a good families within Hebron so that all the girls coming to join the Center feel safe, and their families take good care of them. I would totally recommend living with the local family in Hebron; the experience you get here is really unique, and you will remember it for the rest of your life”. Lucie from Czech Republic