Volunteer in the Middle East is a great way to improve your CV, enhance your skills, learn new things about yourself, experience new culture and most importantly, provide help to those who need it the most. For this plethora of reasons, the Middle East can be a very attractive place to start your volunteering journey. It can be a daunting region though with such a melange of cultures, countries and traditions to successfully navigate.

Where to volunteer in the Middle East

The Middle East is a huge region with over 400,000,000 people and over fifteen countries (Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and the various states and territories of Arabia proper (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and the Trucial States, or Trucial Oman now United Arab Emirates).

There is therefore a lot of choice when comes to where to volunteer. You could choose one of the Gulf States which are very affluent, relatively stable but cost a lot to travel to and volunteer in – plus there is less scope for actually providing help due to the oil money prevalent there.

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Volunteer in the Levantine Region

A better choice may be to volunteer in the Levantine Region (Palestine, Jodan, Syria, and Lebanon) where the cost of living is much cheaper and there are more people to help so your impact is all the more great. You’ll also be able to see first hand the difference your making there and really connect with the communities involved in the process.

The Middle East are in need of volunteers

Volunteering in the Middle East often means being present in a place where help is most appreciated and making an impact unlike in any other place in the world. Many parts of the Middle East are in need of help and volunteers that will teach English language.

Middle East is known for its incredibly hospitable people

From teaching in classes to having a coffee with a local by street stand, you will be adding joys and colors to the people here. The Middle East is known for its incredibly hospitable people. While working as a volunteer here, you will be often stopped to be offered warm drinks and kind gestures on the streets.

The people here are incredible and everything in your daily life will be very different from your normal life. And at the end of your experience, we can assure you that you’ve taken away more valuable things than what you’ve intended to learn here.

How to find the right volunteer programme

First of all, we should start by saying most volunteer organisations are well intentioned and will ensure a happy and successful volunteer experience. However, this is not always the case, so it is crucial to do your due diligence and make sure you thoroughly research any organisation with which you are thinking of working. An organisation might even be well intentioned but still badly dysfunctional.

We recommend exploring the organisation’s website, the work that they do and critically, the testimonials and feedback of former volunteers. This can give you a first hand insight into the potential volunteer experience with an organisation to see if they will be a good fit for you both culturally and in terms of what you want to do there.

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Preparing for a voluntary role in the Middle East

The Middle East is a complex region with a constantly shifting security picture. Make sure you read up on your Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ travel advice, to ensure that the place you intend to visit is safe. Research the place, its reputation and any potential problems you might encounter there. For example, Palestine has a very negative image surrounding its safety but the majority of the time the West Bank is relatively stable and is completely fine to visit and volunteer in.

Beyond that, consider the little things like clothing (bearing in mind the Muslim majority attitude to bare skin etc.), medicine if you are susceptible to illness in foreign climates and also things like sun screen (the Middle East can get very hot in summer of course, but in certain places it can also be cold and wet during winter, especially during the night times).

Volunteering in the main heart of Middle East

One great way to volunteer in the Middle East, is through the Excellence Center in Palestine. The centre will make everything so easy for you, assigning you your personal liaison manager to ensure your help is distributed to where it’s needed most. Hebron is situated in the South of the West Bank, on the frontline of the Israeli Occupation with settlements dominating the area. 20% of the city, particularly in the Old City, has been designated H2 (an area where Israelis can live as well as the local Palestinians).

This area is subject to particularly stringent security measures and the deprivations for the Palestinians are continually harsh. It is an area in need of constant support and through the Excellence Center’s local community links, you can come here to help the people who live in these areas with difficult lives.

Below you may find a couple of volunteer programs in the Middle East in the city of Hebron, Palestine:

Explore Holy Land in Palestine

Volunteers work directly with those affected by these problems and find their roles very fulfilling as they directly see the impact they are creating in the community. Programmes are flexible, lasting anywhere from a week or two right up to three months. Volunteers are provided with accommodation and some meals, as well as free time to explore the historical city of Hebron and the other fascinating sights which comprise the Holy Land in Palestine.

Well known towns like Jericho, Bethlehem and Jerusalem sit alongside lesser known but equally fascinating places like Nablus and Ramallah to make an intriguing cultural and historical tour de force. All the volunteers who come here love it and many enjoy it so much that they later return for a second visit.

Program’s reviews from former volunteers

The volunteer programs in the Middle East has more than:

Final remarks

We hope you enjoyed reading Volunteer in the Middle East article. We would be happy to have you as a volunteer in the city of Hebron, Palestine.

Any questions?

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact at Rafat@excellencenter.org

Find us online

Whatsapp:+972599479880

For more information, please visit our website: https://excellencenter.org

Excellence Center’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter

Excellence Center’s Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/RafatECHebron

Watch us on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsQSLdFZWZcBm6Uj0XMYuKg

Visit and Explore Palestine: https://www.facebook.com/ExplorePalestine

 

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