Community Development Supporter

The program

This wonderful program makes a true difference to the lives of others, providing development and improvement programs to communities living with violence and occupation, offering children, youth, and adult’s safe spaces to learn, thrive and grow. Volunteer projects are mainly held within one of the several prominent refugee camps in the region, but part of the work may also be undertaken in surrounding villages or other parts of the city. The occupation has negatively impacted the lives of many Palestinian's, with children suffering some of the worst effects. So many of the children have lost feelings of hope, happiness and peace, and miss out on a childhood that so many of us take for granted. Volunteers are desperately needed to bring joy, happiness, and life changing skills to the people and children living within these refugee camps.

Goals of this Project:

• Support the Palestinian people who have suffered from the occupation
• Improve the future prospects of some of Palestine’s most impoverished people
• Create a sense of hope and belonging for marginalized young people
• Enable inter-cultural exchange which benefits both residents and international volunteers alike.

How you can help

Volunteers play an essential role in achieving the goals of this project, and can have a huge impact on those they work with. There are many ways that volunteers can participate in this community development program such as through arts and crafts, sharing musical or artistic talents, teaching computer skills, or designing and running specialized workshops such as micro-finance, public health/health screening, sports programs, computer-skills, circus/acrobatics/gymnastics training or with fundraising and awareness projects. Volunteers can also create activities around themes such as human rights that are important for the development of children. Participants will feel a huge sense of accomplishment from the work they partake in, and will see first-hand what a difference community development projects can make to the lives of others. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to meet and socialize with like-minded people from all over the world, and free time can be used to explore this amazing location!

Volunteers will contribute in a number of ways and can expect to undertake the following tasks:

• Create activities and events
• Design fun games for youth to take part in
• Support existing community development projects
• Network with local residents and local project staff

A volunteer’s work day on this project will generally last between 4 and 6 hours and while we ask all volunteers to be flexible in this regard, a typical daily schedule is likely to go something like this:

7:30am Breakfast at the volunteer house or a local cafe

8:00am Walk or bus to the project site

8:30am Pre-start meeting with the project supervisor

9:00am VOLUNTEERING DUTIES START

A tea break and lunch break will be fitted in during the day, but often the timing of breaks will change based on the needs of the local staff and number of volunteers on hand.

3:00pm VOLUNTEERING DUTIES END

3:15pm Debrief with project supervisor

3:30pm Walk or bus back to the Volunteer House

Evenings Free time to relax or explore the sights and sounds of beautiful Nablus!

As one of Palestine’s largest cities, Nablus has lots to offer! Famous for its bustling markets, Nablus’ rich history lies in its Old City with its distinct stone facades, beautiful architecture, narrow streets and old urban spaces. The population of the old city today number around 20,000. There are two churches, twelve mosques and a Samaritan synagogue in around the densely populated residential areas. The Sooq is a typical colorful and loud Palestinian vegetable market located right in the center of town. Simply look for the tent roofs!

The cities of Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jericho see large numbers of tourists including those on one of the many organized tours. Due to the travel time, these cities would be best suited to a weekend trip. The local project staff will happily advise volunteers about things to see, and the best transport method.

The areas in and around Nablus are filled with sites to visit. The Palestinian village of Sebastia lies some 12 kilometres north of Nablus. Other major Palestinian cities such as Jenin, Tulkarem and Qalqilya are also near Nablus in the north of the country. The village of Yasoof is the perfect spot for hiking, and is full of beautiful orchards and fresh water springs.

Because of ongoing conflict in this area of the world, travelers should take notice of travel advisories issued by various embassies before undertaking travel here. Relatively large numbers of international tourists and volunteers visit the West Bank without any incident. However, the situation has the potential to deteriorate. We recommend you consult travel advice regularly.