Spreading the Culture of Volunteerism

From Fifth Grade English to Tawjihi Prep, neither of my classes, which operate under the Internship Program, would be half as successful as they are without the help of my committed volunteers, who are recruited, trained and organized under the careful and kind watch of Ahmad, TYO’s Volunteer Coordinator. 

Every Monday and Wednesday, I meet with five volunteers for a half hour before my Fifth Grade English class begins. Beforehand, I spent the night before, and morning of, drawing up a lesson plan, scratching the whole thing, drawing up another, and scratching that one too.  No matter how many different drafts I go through before settling on the daily lesson plan, I take care to lay it out, minute for minute, by the time my volunteers arrive. Assisted by five English language majors, translation has never been an issue in my class. I can rattle off a lesson plan, during our pre-class meetings, going over each activity only once, and trust that my volunteers will carry it out with indefatigable enthusiasm.  Without them, I would be lost: both linguistically, as all five do an excellent job of bridging the gap between English and Arabic, and structurally, as the extra eyes and ears are invaluable when handling a room full of students nearing the completion of their first decade of life, an exciting time to be a kid!

The Volunteer Program here at TYO is an integral part of all facets of the Nablus Center’s programming.  Ninety-one registered volunteers, drawn primarily from the local An Najah University, commit between eight and fifteen hours each week to serving tomorrow’s university students, working alongside TYO staff helping with the Intern Program, Core Program, Triple Exposure, Off-Site Initiatives and the recently created Nablus Premier Soccer League.  While the majority of the volunteers have a background in education or English language, they come from fields as diverse as economics and fine arts.  As Volunteer Coordinator Ahmad insists that a specific course of study is not nearly as important as is a commitment to serving children and acting as a role model in, and for, the community.

TYO interns and volunteers on a recent site visit to Rosy Palestine Kindergarten in Tulkarm

FWEN Participant chosen as one of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women

Nehaya, a participant in TYO’s Fostering Women Entrepreneurs in Nablus (FWEN) project, has been chosen to participate in the Women’s Entrepreneurship Leadership (WEL) Certificate Program sponsored by Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women project, which began this month at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

The five-week certificate program, which began in Cairo on September 18, is for a select group of women from Egypt, Jordan and the West Bank, who have nascent business plans and leadership potential. At AUC, they will develop skills in business and entrepreneurship to support their business plans and ensure their future success.

Nehaya, 25, developed through her work with FWEN a business plan for a female owned and operated restaurant that serves traditional Palestinian cuisine. In July 2010, her exceptional business plan was among the ten chosen for the second phase of the FWEN project at TYO.

“Nehaya takes time to think and analyze before she acts,” said Fatima, the project manager of FWEN. “She is one of the most willing and engaged participants in our program.

“I am excited to meet new people and learn from them,” Nehaya told TYO before she left. “I think I will meet many people who will be very helpful as I start to implement my project.” Nehaya is also very committed to acquiring new skills as a result of this program, particularly skills in finance, research and marketing.

The WEL Certificate Program, implemented by AUC and The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania was designed specifically for young, underserved women from the Middle East. This program is part of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women project, a global initiative that will provide 10,000 women with business and management education.