By: Peri Guler | Turkish/French

The idea of a trip to this beautiful country came to my mind no less than 5 years ago, when I was starting to become a Human Rights activist. When I finally decided to travel to Palestine, I was looking for a program that would be based on an exchange with Palestinians living in the West Bank. I knew that we had many things to share and that we could learn from each other. Because of this, I immediately knew that the Zajel program was for me when I heard about it a few months ago.

The students were more than motivated to learn what I taught them and by the end of the programme I felt as if I had known both my students and the other volunteers for far longer than two weeks. Everyone was very willing to help me learn Arabic with lots of patience. All the visits we took part of were very relevant to the culture, history, society and politics of Palestine. As a former student of International Peace, it was priceless to receive first-hand information about the conflict. The camp had no distinct political orientation and our safety was constantly prioritized. Zajel also provided me with a clear idea about peaceful organisation among the grassroots of Palestinian resistance. I feel grateful to all those who generously shared their story with us without expecting anything in exchange, especially in Duma village and in the city Hebron where the stories from local Palestinians made me feel as if my heart was falling apart.

I hope to become a volunteer worker here in Palestine so that I can improve the standard of living for those living under harsh conditions. Even if the camp is almost done, Thank you Zajel for everything, you have become my home in Palestine.