Volunteer Life in Palestine in 2025: Engage in Palestine (مَرْكَزُ اَلتَّمَيُّزِ or Markaz Al Tamayoz) was founded by dedicated local community servants to create a bridge between Palestine and the world. 

We offer educational, cultural, social, and community programs to a diverse range of international students, interns, and volunteers. With a wide variety of topics to choose from, Engage in Palestine has something for everyone interested in learning about and experiencing life in Palestine.

Since we began in 2011, Engage in Palestine has provided a rich and immersive learning experience for over 1000 international visitors, with great benefits to the local community, including children, Palestinian refugees, youth, and women. 

Volunteers make up an important part of the fabric of Engage in Palestine, helping to support many social benefit activities for the community around Hebron, and learning about the reality of life in Palestine. 

Daily Volunteer Life in Palestine in 2025

Daily life as a volunteer at Engage in Palestine is full! The first week is usually spent on orientation, where you will get to know your new surroundings and see some of the cultural and religious highlights in Hebron. 

A typical day will start with breakfast at 10 am at the Center. We have everything that is usually found on a local breakfast table, including bread and hummus, labne, zaatar, shakshuka, and avocado – all served with tea and coffee. Next, you will have an Arabic class. Every volunteer program includes some Arabic instruction to help you get around and engage with the community. 

After class, you will spend the afternoon on your program activities. These will differ depending on the program that you do. Some volunteers will teach English with school children at the Center or a nearby refugee camp, some will visit different human rights organisations and actors to hear about the day-to-day situation, and some will spend time speaking with local journalists and news agencies. 

In your free time, you can spend time relaxing at the Center where we sometimes cook dinner together, heading to one of the many cafes and restaurants on busy Ein Sara street, and spending time hanging out with your new friends. 

Stories of Volunteer Experiences

With a 4.85 rating out of 5 from over 800 reviews, Engage in Palestine has hosted a lot of very happy volunteers. Read on to hear about some of their experiences, and you’ll know why! 

“Coming to Palestine is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I feel like I’m doing something important and useful with my time for the local community, but at the same time, I am also getting so much out of it. The cultural immersion, the great people I’ve met here at the Center, and the amount of personal growth I’ve experienced are incredible. I am already planning my next return!” Eva, Australia. 

“The environment at the center is really positive. It is like a big family. The staff are all welcoming and kind, and it is interesting to meet the other internationals who come to Hebron from all around the world. Every morning you eat breakfast together, and there is a lot of tea and coffee all day! It is a social place, and I have made deep and lasting friendships. Whenever I am in Palestine (and I definitely want to come back!) I will come back to Hebron to visit and learn more Arabic.” – Alix, United Kingdom. 

Want to hear more? You can see more of our reviews at GoOverseas. 

Contributions to the Community

While our volunteers typically spend one week to three months in Hebron (the maximum offered on a tourist visa by Israel), the long-term impact of volunteers on local communities is significant. Volunteer programs through Engage in Palestine focus on education, skills, and capacity building, which have a long-lasting effect on the people they work with. 

Breaking social barriers

More intangible but no less important is the long-term impact of volunteering on breaking social barriers. Volunteering helps build mutual understanding and respect between Palestinians and people from all over the world, reducing narrow stereotypes and creating a rich social fabric across borders. During their time here, volunteers tend to create meaningful relationships with local people, from the Center staff to the shopkeepers of Ein Sara Street to the children at Al Fawwar refugee camp. These connections are beneficial for local and international alike. 

Responsible volunteering

It’s important to remember that Palestinians are not in need of saving, they are the experts on their own struggle. When it comes to volunteering, this means deferring to local leadership, listening more than speaking, and ensuring that all volunteer activities align with the needs and goals of the community. Rather than imposing solutions or trying to be heroes, volunteers should amplify local initiatives and provide support where asked.

Traveling Around Palestine

One of the great benefits of coming to volunteer in Palestine is the opportunity to travel and see a lot of the beautiful, historical land. During the weekends, you have the chance to see cities like Ramallah, the cosmopolitan center of the West Bank, the religious sites of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and the economic hub of Hebron. Each city has its own story and personality. Aside from the checkpoints, which can sometimes take a while to cross, getting around the West Bank can be quite easy and affordable thanks to shared public taxis called ‘Servees’. 

Alongside weekend trips, there are also lots of activities around Hebron city itself, where Engage in Palestine is based. You can do things like visit the famous Ibrahimi mosque, wander the winding streets of the old city, visit Al-Fawwar refugee camp, meet with local artists and activists, and see local industry like handmade glass and ceramics, and the last functioning keffiyeh factory in the West Bank. 

Support from Engage in Palestine

The thought of coming to a completely new place in a completely new region, especially one that’s in the news as much as Palestine, might be a little scary. Never fear! We’ve got you covered. 

Engage in Palestine has been welcoming international volunteers for well over a decade now, and we are very experienced in supporting new people while they settle in and navigate their new life in Palestine. 

Accommodation and meals

Rather than trying to find your own accommodation in a strange new place, Engage in Palestine organises accommodation for you! 

Our volunteers stay in shared apartments very close to the Engage in Palestine building. In keeping with the local culture, there is one for males and one for females. These comfortable, modern, and secure apartments have all the amenities for your stay, including bedding, a washing machine, and a fully equipped kitchen. 

For full immersion, women might opt to stay with a local host family, where they will get daily exposure to Arabic language practice in real-world situations – along with the benefit of making new friends, eating home-cooked traditional food, and learning more about the local culture. 

Safety and support

The staff at Engage in Palestine is deeply committed to safety and ensuring that volunteers have the support they need for a positive experience in Palestine. This includes comfortable housing, tailoring program content to people’s interests, and a host-family atmosphere with regular invitations to tea and dinner. 

For anyone struggling to settle in, or who needs some extra information or support prior to departing from their home country, the Center is always available to help. 

The campus building is located in a very safe and secure part of town, away from the H1 and H2 divisions, so volunteers feel comfortable spending time at some of the many cafes and restaurants close by, and then walking home at night. 

Certificate and recognition

Engage in Palestine can support your professional goals by providing a certificate of completion for your selected program or course. Due to a partnership with the local Education Ministry, we are also able to provide academic credit for your course if you would like it. 

Learning Arabic and Cultural Insights

Spending time in another country is a great way to immerse yourself in a completely new culture, learn a new language, and gain some invaluable skills. 

Arabic is one of the world’s most spoken – and most beautiful – languages. During your time volunteering in an Arabic-speaking country, it is useful to learn some of the local spoken Colloquial language in order to engage well with the community. All volunteer programs at Engage in Palestine include three hours of Arabic language class per week for each week that you spend with us. The classes are focused on speaking, so that you can be ordering your own coffees or making small talk with shopkeepers in the neighbourhood in no time! 

While in Palestine, you’ll get a deeper understanding of the social and political context of the area, along with a first-hand look into life under military occupation. You’ll hear stories of how everyday life is affected, especially in Hebron, which is split into the Palestinian-controlled H1 and the Israeli-controlled H2. But more than the issues and challenges, you’ll also get to experience the incredible resilience of the local people and their kindness and hospitality despite everything they have endured. 

Challenges and Rewards

Volunteering in Palestine is an incredibly rewarding experience, but like anything, it also comes with its challenges. 

Some of the perks

• Personal growth: Many volunteers reflect on the incredibly positive, if not life-changing, experience they have here at Engage in Palestine. Witnessing the continuation of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination teaches resilience, while experiencing the hospitality of the people teaches kindness and generosity. You will learn so much from your local peers. 

• Community growth: At Engage in Palestine, you become part of a community. Center personnel, including coordinators, support staff, teachers, and volunteers, all become a network for people during their time in Palestine. Volunteers also get the benefit of seeing students improve in their learning, smiles on children’s faces, and helping people to feel like their voices and experiences of the occupation are being heard.

• Memorable experiences: There are so many things to do and see in Palestine, and our volunteers tend to take full advantage of this! From weekend trips in different parts of the West Bank, to spending time in rural villages close to Hebron, to visiting refugee camps like Al Fawwar, volunteers make their time in Palestine truly memorable. They also tend to become close to their fellow volunteers, making lasting friendships and memories together. Many volunteers come back to Engage in Palestine multiple times to reconnect with the friends they made and the community they came to love. We’re not saying coming to Palestine will change your life, but based on our feedback, it’s highly likely. 

Some things to keep in mind

• Political tensions: Volunteers will be living in a conflict-affected area. This means they will be exposed to some of the tensions of daily life in Palestine. Freedom of movement is restricted for Palestinians in the West Bank, so volunteers may also face things like long waits and ID checks at checkpoints. 

• Language barrier: While many people in Palestine speak at least some English, there can be times when the language barrier might be tricky to navigate. That’s why Engage in Palestine offers three hours of Arabic lessons per week to help you get around and connect with locals. 

• Cultural adaptation: Going anywhere new means adapting to a different culture and way of life. The same goes for Palestine. For those new to living in a muslim majority country, some things to keep in mind are keeping your body covered with ong, loose clothing (especially in more conservative Hebron), not touching people of the opposite sex in public (even for a handshake – unless it is offered to you), and remembering that hospitality is a bit part of the culture here. It’s not unusual for someone to ask for your contact details or invite you to their house for dinner shortly after meeting them. Just do what you are comfortable with! 

Conclusion

Volunteering with Engage in Palestine is an incredibly impactful, meaningful thing to do. Not only are you investing in your own professional experience and self-development, but you are also making a real difference for the local community and showing your solidarity with the Palestinian cause. 

We’re excited to welcome you to Palestine! For more information or to apply to one of our programs, please send us an email at Info@ecpalestine.org.

Find Us Online

WhatsApp: +972 599 479 880

Website: https://ecpalestine.org/

EC Website: https://excellencenter.org/

Volunteer in Palestine: https://volunteerinpalestine.org/

Study in Palestine: https://studyinpalestine.org/

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

Tags: Daily life of volunteers in Palestine, Living and volunteering in Palestine 2025, Volunteer experiences in Palestine, What it’s like to volunteer in Palestine