How to Volunteer with Palestinian Children – A Guide: Palestine has remained at the center of global attention for decades, particularly in recent years. As the occupation intensifies in the West Bank and essential aid organizations like the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) struggle with major funding cuts, supporting Palestine through volunteering has never been more crucial.

With an expanding youth base, children and young people make up about 30% of the population in Palestine. Born into a conflict they have no control over, they face the impact of occupation in daily life: restriction on movement, lack of some services, limitations in opportunity, and especially in the case of youth in the refugee camps, regular raids by armed soldiers. 

Support from international volunteers is valuable in many ways – it helps to bridge the gap in services such as education, allows Palestinian children and youth to practice English with native speakers, and also provides a kind of emotional support by letting them know that the world has not forgotten them. 

Coming to volunteer with children in Palestine is a great way to make a meaningful difference by enriching young lives. Read on to learn more about how you can be involved!

Why Volunteer with Palestinian Children? 

Life under occupation is difficult for the children of Palestine, and this has been particularly true since October 7th, 2023. In the West Bank, children feel the impact of limited resources, restrictions on movement around the occupied territory, and the psychological impact of living in a conflict-affected area. Children in refugee camps are particularly impacted, as essential service providers face significant funding cuts and as the camps themselves are increasingly targeted by military raids. 

Volunteers are not a solution to these problems, but they do help bring some positivity to the lives of children and provide valuable support in the provision of education, skills, and companionship. Supporting education helps to build a brighter future for these young people by developing their knowledge and skills. Playing sports or doing craft activities with them helps to build a sense of camaraderie as well as express themselves in a safe and positive way. The presence of international volunteers helps create a sense of emotional support for the children, who are able to feel connected to the wider world. 

“The children of Palestine are tough cookies. They have been through a lot in their short lives and handle it with a grace beyond their years. Spending time with them is an absolute honour. I went to the Al Fawwar refugee camp near Hebron to spend an afternoon with the kids at one of the schools, and they were absolutely thrilled to have a visitor from abroad. They tested my patchy Arabic, practiced their English with me, and showed off some local songs and dances they had been practicing. The joy they exude despite their difficult circumstances is inspiring.” – Eva, volunteer from Australia. 

Types of Volunteering Opportunities 

Volunteering with children in Palestine can look different depending on the needs of each community and the skills or experience of the volunteers. There are many different ways a volunteer can engage with the community:

Teaching English or Other Subjects

Help Palestinian kids improve their language and academic skills. Teaching English, practicing English, or tutoring children and youth in other school subjects is a really practical way to help. Supporting the academic achievement of students helps open doorways to opportunity and really sets them up for a brighter future. 

Mentorship & Career Guidance

Support young Palestinians in their professional aspirations. With a difficult job market and high unemployment, Palestinian youth need all the support they can get to gain employment or start their own business. Mentorship and guidance in professionalism or entrepreneurship is a great way to help support the next generation of leaders in Palestine. 

Creative & Recreational Activities

Art, music and creativity are proven to help people express and deal with trauma, allowing people to tell their stories in their own ways, and to process and heal from their experience of living under occupation. Physical activities like sports or games also help to boost children’s mood, physical health, and sense of belonging. 

List of Volunteering Programs with Palestinian Children

Our volunteer programs in Palestine are especially ideal for students and people who are looking for summer volunteer and internship programs in the West Bank, Palestine, Israel, or the Middle East.

Here, you may find the list of our volunteer programs with Palestinian Children:

1. The Palestinian Refugees Volunteer Program

2. Women’s And Children’s Rights Volunteer Program in Palestine

3. Community Development Volunteer Program in Palestine

4. Volunteer In Local Schools In Palestine

5. Volunteer in Palestinian Communities

6. Volunteer With Palestinian Orphanages

7. Internship with Palestinian Children

How to Become a Volunteer 

Applying for a program

So, you’re interested in volunteering in Palestine. How do you pick a good organisation? Our advice is to check their website and whether they have an online presence elsewhere where you can verify the experiences of other volunteers. Engage in Palestine is registered with Go Overseas, a well-known organisation that helps people worldwide find meaningful and fulfilling volunteer positions. We currently have a 4.85 (out of 5) rating from 852 reviews and have received over 20 community awards from 2019 onwards, including for 2024. 

Once you have chosen your organization, it’s important to make sure you choose the program that best reflects your skills, expertise, interests, and the needs of the community. Programs offered by Engage in Palestine include Human Rights, Journalism, Volunteering in Villages and Rural Areas, and even volunteering online! Make sure you check that the organisation has a program that reflects the duration of time you have to give and the level of commitment while in-country. 

When you’ve decided on the organisation you want to volunteer with, and the program you’re interested in doing, the next step is to apply. At Engage in Palestine, we simply ask that people send an email to info@ecpalestine.org enquiring about their program of choice, when they would like to arrive, and how long they would like to stay.

The next step is to receive a short and easy application form, which you will fill out and return. Once you have been selected for the program, the final step is to pay your program fees. This is usually done by bank transfer or Western Union payment. Once the payment is made, you can start making your travel arrangements! 

Visa and Travel Requirements

Currently, in order to travel to Palestine, you need to secure a visa from Israel. Tourist visas are issued on arrival at the border and can last for up to 90 days. As of January 1st, 2025, you need to fill out an Electronic Travel Authorization prior to departure. 

There are two key crossings into the West Bank; a land crossing through Jordan at the King Hussein Bridge, or arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport just outside of Tel Aviv. Travel through Jordan is currently highly recommended as many people have recently faced difficulty entering Israel through Ben Gurion Airport. The way takes a bit longer and is a bit more complicated, but there is generally a better chance that you will be granted entry. Read our article on traveling from Jordan to Palestine for more information. 

The first thing to know is that preparing to cross the border will almost always sound worse than it actually is. Since 2011, over 1000 volunteers have come to spend time with Engage in Palestine with no problems. However, entering Palestine can be more difficult sometimes than others, depending on the changing security situation. 

There is a chance that you will be pulled aside for questioning when you try to cross the border. The questions will usually be about your intentions in Israel (tourism, visiting friends and family, etc) and why you have decided to travel now. We recommend you say you are traveling for tourism and that you prepare some answers like where you intend to stay and what you intend to do and see over the span of your trip. It is highly recommended that you do not mention Palestine, the West Bank or any West Bank cities, or volunteering and learning Arabic.

What to Expect as a Volunteer 

Accommodation

Engage in Palestine has a variety of accommodation options to suit different needs. Most commonly, volunteers will reside at one of our shared flats located close to the center. There is one for men and one for women. The apartments are modern, spacious, and equipped with everything you need for daily living. Rooms might be shared depending on the number of volunteers, but it is possible to request a private room if you prefer.

Another option (for female volunteers) is placement with a Palestinian host family. This immersion is a great way to experience the local culture and language. 

Daily Life

At Engage in Palestine, our volunteer’s days usually start at 10am with a communal breakfast in our kitchen. We have everything you’ll usually find on the table for breakfast in a Palestinian home – bread, hommus, avocado, tomato, eggs, za’atar and olive oil served with tea or coffee. This breakfast is an important start to the day, allowing staff and volunteers to mingle, speak about their days, and get to know each other better. 

After breakfast usually comes the Arabic classes with our wonderful teachers. The length and frequency of your Arabic classes will depend on whether you are in an intensive course or studying Arabic as part of another program. 

In the afternoon, program-specific activities occur. This could include visiting a refugee camp, spending time at specialised schools or orphanages around Hebron city, teaching English at the Center, or going to rural Palestinian villages. At the end of the day, volunteers usually like to go out for dinner at one of the many restaurants on bustling Ein Sara Street, sit at a cafe and study together, or return home and cook for themselves. 

Weekends and Getting Around

Weekends in Palestine are Fridays and Saturdays, while the start of the working week is on Sunday. On Fridays, most shops and cafes close, and many people like to stay home and spend time with their families. Saturdays tend to be more lively, with people out and about shopping and eating at restaurants with friends. 

While there are trains and light rail options in Israel, Palestine’s public transport consists of shared taxis called Services (pronounced Servees). These are usually quite affordable and easy to catch. Many volunteers like to travel on the weekends, taking local transport to cities like Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Tel Aviv, and Nablus. Just make sure you agree on a price with the driver before you start the journey! 

Cultural Considerations

Palestine has an incredibly rich culture, one that is quite different from most Western countries. If you have never spent time in a Muslim majority country before, you might find things to be a bit different at first. Never worry! Our volunteers usually find their feet very quickly. The following is a list of some ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for everyday life in Hebron:

Dos 

Wear long clothing. Hebron is quite a conservative city, so it is proper for men and especially women to be covered when in public. International women do not need to cover their hair, but wearing long and loose-fitting clothing that also covers the chest is appropriate. For men, please don’t wear shorts. The people of Hebron tend to be stylish, so conservative doesn’t have to mean boring! 

Get out of your comfort zone a little. In Palestine, people are very friendly and curious about foreigners. Some of them will say ‘welcome’ to you as they pass you in the street. It is also very common for people to exchange contact details quickly and to invite people to their house for coffee or a meal or to meet their family. This kind of thing isn’t very common in the West, so it might seem strange at first. We recommend that you do whatever you feel comfortable with and maybe go a little bit out of your comfort zone to meet some new people and make new friends. 

Don’ts

Men and women generally do not touch or show affection in public. This also goes for shaking hands. It is best not to offer to shake someone of the opposite gender’s hand when you meet them unless they offer it to you first. 

Go to the wrong gym at the wrong time! Some gyms split their time between open hours for men and opening hours for women. There are also some gyms that are just for women and some that are just for men. Men and women do not work out together, so make sure you check the times at your local gym to know when to go. 

Remember that the staff at Engage in Palestine are always available to offer any support or advice on safety, security, or how to fit in well to the local Hebron community!

Overcoming Challenges as a Volunteer 

There are some challenges that you might encounter when going to volunteer in an unfamiliar place. Like anywhere, there are cultural differences to learn and new ways of living to adjust to. On top of these, Palestine is a conflict affected area under active military occupation, so there are some other considerations you may need to keep in mind. 

Language is the first barrier you might encounter. Arabic is the primary language in Palestine, and while many people speak at least some English, it is beneficial to learn some Arabic to help you get around and settle in. It’s also great to learn some Arabic to help you communicate with the local children. Engage in Palestine offers three hours of spoken Arabic instruction for each week that you spend volunteering with us. 

Adapting to new cultural norms can always be tricky. However, the staff at the Center are always around to answer your questions or help guide you if you’re not sure of anything. In Hebron, religious and cultural life are very much intertwined. We recommend that you try to learn a little bit about the local culture as well as some Islamic religious practices to better understand your new surroundings! Learning about culture usually also includes learning about food, which is a delicious education. 

One thing to remember about volunteering with children in a conflict-affected area is that they may have emotional challenges that aren’t as present in kids who have grown up in different settings. It’s best to be sensitive to their needs and make sure you check with the Center staff or teachers at schools in case you have any doubts. 

The Impact of Volunteering 

Volunteering with Palestinian children has some great benefits for the individual; you get to know the time you give is making a real difference and you can improve your own teaching, facilitation, and presenting skills – alongside a rich cultural exchange! 

The majority of the impact is for the benefit of the children and youth that volunteers work with. For them, it means improving their academic and language skills, which broadens their horizons, exposure to different perspectives and ideas, which help them grow as people, and encouragement from mentors, which helps to boost their self-esteem.

The benefits that can be measured are in the skills that kids can learn, their improvement in speaking another language, and the things they can learn about other people and cultures. The immeasurable impacts are a sense of outside support for their futures and a feeling of solidarity from the international community. 

Conclusion: How You Can Get Involved 

Volunteering with Palestinian children is an incredibly rewarding way to spend your time. Not only do you get to share your skills and experience with people who will benefit from it greatly, you will have a very personally enriching (and maybe life-changing) experience. It is also a great opportunity to experience the day-to-day life and culture of the Palestinian people. If you decide to come to spend time with us, you will be welcomed with open arms. 

Whether you’re interested in coming to Palestine for 1 week or 13, Engage in Palestine has a range of programs to suit all kinds of backgrounds and interests. To learn more, or to enquire about coming to spend time in Palestine, please reach out to info@ecpalestine.org.

Find Us Online

Do you have questions for us? Contact us via:

Email: info@ecpalestine.org

WhatsApp:+972 599 479 880

Website: https://volunteerinpalestine.org/

EC Website: https://excellencenter.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter

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

Tags: Volunteer Programs for Palestinian Children, volunteer programs in Palestine, Volunteer programs with Palestinian kids, Volunteer with Palestinian Children, Work with Palestinian Children