Daily Routine At Engage In Palestine: Whatever your understanding of Palestine and Palestinian way of life beforehand, you will leave Hebron with a fresh perspective. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by staff and other teachers and made to feel at home. They can also brief you on life in Hebron including appropriate versus inappropriate conduct and practical guidance such as how to use your phone while in Palestine and where to exchange currency.
Participants need not worry if they know minimal Arabic or if their Arabic is underdeveloped, as our staff are fully proficient in English; any quarries you may have after you’ve arrived at Engage in Palestine will be answered by our staff.
Accommodations
Female participants will be assigned a host family during their time in Palestine, while men generally stay in an all-male dorm or an apartment arranged by Engage in Palestine.
Staying With A Host Family
Residing with a host family carries a huge advantage for those who wish to improve their Arabic, as this inevitably means Arabic will become the main language used during the day for all interactions, both inside and outside the home.
Whether you’re making conversation over dinner or bartering with a shopkeeper, you will have the opportunity to use Arabic to the best of your ability. Additionally, this style of accommodation gives participants unique insight into Palestinian daily life and customs that you may otherwise not experience.
You Have Plenty Of Time To Make Friends
In either case–whether staying with a host family or in an apartment–participants will have plenty of time to make friends and build connections with local Palestinians, Engage in Palestine staff and participants from all over the world while practicing your Arabic together.
This also ensures you connections in Palestine should you wish to return again in the future. Your time at Engage in Palestine is sure to be a rewarding experience and a great way to meet new people.
Daily Breakfast
Our center is open from around 10:00am to 5:00pm every day except Friday. Every morning begins with breakfast at 10am at our center and typically consists of foods such as bread, olive oil and za’atar, hummus, labneh, baba ghanoush, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper and tea –basically all the essentials you will find in a traditional Palestinian morning meal.
Engage in Palestine’s staff, volunteers, interns and students all sit together during breakfast as custom dictates, which also allows everyone a chance to touch base, converse in various languages, and create stronger communal bonds.
Arabic And English Lessons
Lessons typically begin directly after breakfast at 10:30am, so whether you’re teaching English or studying Arabic you will likely be in your first class at that time, depending of course on your particular program. If you are taking one of our intensive Arabic courses, you may begin your lessons earlier in the day before at 8:30am or 9am, before breakfast.
For those volunteering to teach English, classes are either taught solo, with other international volunteers or as an assistant in conjunction with an experienced Palestinian teacher. You will have a relative amount of freedom to teach the content you find most fitting using the methodology you prefer, with approval by Engage in Palestine of course. Preparing lessons is usually done collaboratively between teachers, volunteers, and groups throughout the day as well, an approach that is meant to benefit everyone–students, assistants, and teachers alike.
Other Projects
Those with projects in mind, especially with regard to participants of other programs such as Human Rights or Music and the Arts, may use the time between classes, meetings, and excursions to ruminate on ideas and their executions. At our center, there are also computers, printers, and photocopiers available for communal use, as well as rooms available for class instruction and one-on-one lessons.
Lunch
While we provide breakfast, you are free to arrange your own lunch whenever you have a break in your schedule. There are plenty of cafes and supermarkets nearby as well as shawarma and falafel places if you wish to buy lunch.
The End Of The Day
Your day at the center typically ends between 4:00pm and 5:00pm, leaving your evenings free to improve your Arabic, review lesson plans, pursue projects, or simply have some well-deserved downtime!
Enjoy Your Experience!
Overall, the experience and daily routine at Engage in Palestine is one of cooperation and growth between people of different, cultures, languages, and backgrounds, and for this reason it is hugely rewarding.
While this description is intended to give a general overview of the daily routine while at Engage in Palestine, prospective participants should be aware, between morning routines, breakfast, classes, excursions, lesson plans, project implementation, life responsibilities, and time off, your days are likely to fill up quickly.
Most are only here in Palestine a short time, and thus you should enjoy every minute! Whether you’re ordering from a falafel stand, eating dinner with your host family, teaching an English class, meeting refugees in a camp, or traveling to Jerusalem during your weekend, we hope you enjoy and appreciate both the big and little moments.
