A taste of our kids’ Nablus in Washington DC!

Thanks to TYO’s long-time partnership with the National Children’s Museum (NCM), and the tireless efforts of Fall 2009 intern Nachel and US-based intern Mariel, a year-long exhibit of Nablus children’s lives will open on January 23 at the NCM Launch Zone (below). By displaying images and examples of children’s artwork, we hope to present a human perspective on life in Nablus. The TYO-NCM partnership, closely aligned with both organization’s missions, promotes global awareness and mutual understanding between cultures, inspiring children to care about and improve the world.

During her time at TYO this fall, Nachel worked with a class of about 25 8-10 year olds from Nablus’s most disadvantaged areas, including three refugee camps (check them out in action below!). They did a wide variety of arts-related activities exploring their own typical foods and culture of Nablus. Finally, they got to try their hands at making some of the most loved staples of the Palestinian diet: Tabbouleh and Hummus. The TYO exhibit at NCM provides a window into these children’s daily lives, and their experience here at TYO’s Nablus home: the Zafer Masri Foundation building.

Drop by the NCM Launch Zone (on Google Maps here) next week for the exhibit’s delicious inauguration, including a sampling of typical Nabulsi food (January 23, or January 30) and performances by a dabke dance troupe on January 23. You can even write a postcard to be sent back to our kids here in Nablus!