By Norman Church – United Kingdom

There’s only one reason to attend a project like Zajel and that is to create memories. And neither I nor my international colleagues are short of momentous moments, both happy and poignant. There’s an old Chinese proverb that says the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and that the next best time is now. And here we are today, planting seeds for development and work that will last a generation. The Zajel project started many years ago with modest expectation and from tiny acorns grow mighty oak trees.

The project has brought together volunteers from many countries and cultures. We share rooms together, eat together and socialize together. There is a lot of mutual respect and not surprisingly, togetherness. For me these combined relationships act as the glue of coherence. Speaking on behalf of the group, we have all found our classes both interesting and challenging. There are of course, cultural norms around what is and is not acceptable and I find that if nobody is dancing, perhaps it’s time to change the music. Listening to the students was a fundamental aspect of the program. Establishing their needs and not making assumptions on my part. It was a challenge with 30 students most days working in a 90 minute time frame and it mostly worked well.

The local volunteers were outstanding in their diligence and dedication both in the classroom and during our visits to many places of interest in Palestine. Their guidance and language skills in both Arabic and English facilitated a seamless transition from the impossible to the sublime. Their determination, patience and calm manner always made us feel welcome, protected and valued and I’m sure our friendships will last the pleasures of time. The people – as volunteers, it’s tough to know what to expect. I thought it would be hard and yes we have seen great hardship: Bombed and burnt out houses; Land confiscated illegally; People deprived of water, food and sanitation. Their human rights violated on a daily basis. The Israeli stranglehold and subjugation endures. Perhaps what breaks our hearts serves to open our hearts. And yet life goes on; the people smile, they are welcoming, kind and generous. These attributes linger in all of our hearts and for me it was a great reminder to give more and expect nothing in return, and to live a life of honor, respect and gratitude.