Volunteering... a rewarding experience
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We welcome all volunteer inquiries, however please be patient in waiting for our reply, as it can often take up to 2-weeks before we are able to respond to your e-mail due to the volume of inquires we receive.

International Volunteers

All volunteers are welcome to come from abroad and participate in our programs. As a volunteer, Project Hope wants to use your initiative and skills. If there is something you can do, we will try to find a way for you to do it. If you aren't sure of what to do, we will find something that matches your skills. You may wish to consider anything from teaching languages like English and French to leading an art class.

As a volunteer, you will be given as much freedom as possible. We also encourage you to get involved with other groups and activities in order to broaden your horizons. Participation with different community groups is highly encouraged. We recommend that you travel if possible, to develop a better understanding of the region.

There are two important principles for international volunteers to keep in mind:

1. Fulfill your obligations
2. Respect the local culture

Fulfilling your obligations means that when you say you will do something, you do your best to do it. If you have a class to teach, show up on time and put in the necessary effort. You are also expected to fulfill at least a minimal amount of work in order for us to function properly. Generally 20 hours a week is the minimum commitment although you may work less than this depending on the situation and the areas you are teaching in.

Cultural information will be provided to you upon request, and from your colleagues when you arrive. You are not perfect and are not going to understand everything before you get real life experience, meaning you will make mistakes. Do not worry, and just do your best. Just because you are respecting the culture, this does not mean you have to adopt it and people should understand you also have your own beliefs and culture. The fact you try your best will be appreciated by the people around you. Sometimes it can be difficult to adapt to the Palestinian culture, especially in the more conservative areas. This can be stressful; if it bothers you, then it is more than reasonable to take a weekend break to get away.

The regular coordinators and directors are in charge of the project, but want to act as friends and guides, providing assistance to volunteers in whatever way possible. This includes finding a place to stay, helping you to move around, and providing advice and support. We are also very concerned with each volunteer's safety and well-being. If you are particularly uncomfortable doing anything, you may simply refuse. We also want you to enjoy yourself as much as you can, while you do your best to make a difference. Feel free to let them know if you have any problems. Remember, they probably have more experience in Palestine than you and have your well-being in mind, so please respect their suggestions.

Basic Program and What You Can Do

The available resources and the political situation at any given time determine our events and programs. However, there is a special focus on providing certain classes and activities on a regular basis.

English classes. There is a large pool of volunteers who can teach English. There is likewise a large demand from Palestinians of all ages to learn English. It allows them better access to jobs and to speak to the outside world. We prefer experienced English teachers or people who speak English as a first language. However, people who speak English well as a second language prove to be good teachers of low-level English classes. We try to provide multiple levels of English, from the very basics to conversation and writing.

In addition, we also aim to provide French classes when we have the volunteers. We need French teachers, preferably native tongue speakers, to lead some beginner and intermediate level classes. There are art and drama programs, and occasional workshops in music and circus.

Most classes and activities will be led by local and international volunteers. If you feel a program is missing, and you want to provide it, we will try to facilitate the creation of this program for you to lead.

Benefits to You You will derive satisfaction from doing your best to help a people in need. A wide range of experiences are possible. In addition to working with Project Hope, we hope for you to get involved in the local community. We will do our best to introduce you to new Palestinian friends and the local social life. You will likely find yourself with more friendly invitations than you can handle.

You will have the opportunity to live in, work in and see different strata of Palestinian society. This includes refugee camps, cities and villages. You may choose to work on your Arabic, and speak to us about arranging this. Participation in Project Hope is something you can add to your CV or resume.

Security

Volunteering in Palestine is for individuals who want to make a difference in one of the longest-running conflicts in the world. You should be aware of the security issues here. There are military incursions and numerous difficulties living under a tough occupation. The situation has been unstable and difficult for the people living here, and very few believe peace will come soon. There is a lot of pessimism and depression about the current situation.

The situation is always changing, so it is best to contact us to find out what is happening. In general, our volunteers do not go near places of conflict if they choose to avoid it. Our accommodation tends to be in quieter and safer areas. It is best that you find out what things are like from us or someone on the ground, to prepare yourself before coming over. The media usually gives a wrong or false impression of what is happening, so it is best not to use it as your primary source. Instead, rely on experts or people who are actually here.

What Project Hope is looking for in Volunteers

For reasons of continuity, we hope that internationals can dedicate at least 3 months to the project. This is not a strict guideline as we realize not all people have this much time to spare. We will gladly consider shorter stays of a reasonable duration (for example 4 weeks for teaching languages, or shorter for a specific intense program such as music, art or circus), though we prefer longer-term volunteers. We also ask that on returning home volunteers get involved in promoting our work, and hope you will remain involved with the organization.

The people we are looking for should have some knowledge of education, administration or social work, be willing to work under pressure and be independent in nature. We are particularly interested in self starters and people with professional work experience.

As far as respecting local leadership is concerned, what is really important is that we do not want international volunteers to come over and completely take over the work in a program. Then, when they leave, the project will be finished or the skill lost. Rather, we want things to be self-sustaining. It is best to try and help someone to become better do something than to just do it yourself. We want people to try and assist a local volunteer, if possible, so that some of the skills are retained.

The rewards of volunteering are many. You will enhance your personal character, broaden your horizons, and visibly make a difference to those who need your help. This will more than balance the difficulties you will face. You will also find yourself a welcome guest with many great new friendships that will last a lifetime.

Costs and Housing

Unfortunately we cannot provide any financial aid to the international volunteers. We are a grassroots organization that focuses our limited financial resources on the programs and Palestinian administration of Project Hope. However, it is very inexpensive to live in Palestine and we do our best to keep costs down for you.

Volunteer Contributions Schedule
Project Hope is a volunteer driven organization. Because of the limited funding we receive to facilitate our large number of programs, we ask that each volunteer make a financial contribution to Project Hope, which is used for volunteer accommodation in an apartment in Nablus as well as volunteer placement fees, utilities and programs provided for the volunteers while in Palestine, such as Arabic classes and field trips. This contribution allows us to have better programs and to increase our capacity to meet the demand of volunteer applications.  We have balanced this financial need with our goal of making it as easy as possible for qualified individuals to volunteer with Project Hope in Palestine.  We highly encourage volunteers to fundraise this cost prior to their departure, and will be happy to provide advice and ideas on how to do this.  

Accommodation = 500 NIS per month volunteering
Each volunteer is expected to contribute funds towards the monthly costs of the facilities we provide to volunteers, which includes:  co-ed volunteer accommodation with bed, Wifi Internet, television, DVD, cleaning, washing machine, kitchen facilities, all utilities and gas, and access to office equipment for personal use.

Material + Equipment = $100
Project Hope has a small budget for material's, especially activities arranged outside the main program.  Our partner centers, often poor organizations in the refugee camps, have even fewer resources.  We encourage volunteers to fundraise to purchase equipment and materials for our activities.  Volunteers may be particularly interested in raising funds for projects they propose to Project Hope.


Living in Palestine is quite inexpensive. Aside from accommodation costs, you can easily live on 10 to 20 shekels (2.50 to 5 $US) per day, including transportation within Nablus. Once you have been there for a while, you may even be able to live for less. The biggest expenses you will face are your flight over, traveling to the appropriate Palestinian location and any time you might spend outside of Palestine.



The Volunteers's house