In This Issue:
what is Karama up to: Have a look at Karama's forthcoming projects.
News Section: Get the latest on all things Palestine.
Karama Profiles: Meet some of our members and volunteers.
Frontpage: return to the newsletter frontpage
Karama Member Profile
Hassan
Hassan is one of our younger members, at 11 years old. He has lived his whole life...read more
Volunteer Profile Basil
All the way from beautiful Sidney, Australia, Basil returns to the Middle East after.... read more
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Welcome to the Karama Newsletter
What is up in Karama this week?
Boys school
Beside the UN Girls School, some of our volunteers also started to run some indoor and outdoor activities in the UN Boys School.
the following report is written by our Canadian volunteer Jonathan and gives an account of the experience he had with the boys.
Last Saturday, Oct. 3 we went to the UN school for boys. We walked down the road and upon entering the gate we were greeted by smiling faces and excited eyes. We decided to pull out the big 20 meter rope for a game of tug-of-war. The second we started unraveling the rope excitement broke loose as the boys immediately started pulling it at each end. After about 5 minutes of begging and pleading we were able to stop the tugging and set up teams for the next 20 minutes of play. Next we played Octopus in , which I, your writer, wisely decided to be the one who has to catch everyone. The boys were fast but I caught a few each time only to see that they decided to join the rest of the runners even after they were caught. There energy and agility disallowed them from following the rules that dictated them to freeze until they were freed by another teammate. After about 15 minutes of exhaustion and 3 or 4 times explaining the rules we decided to play a few other games which were slightly more successful. Then came football; the one activity in which they were most aquainted. We were excited to receive some tea which my host father here, who is also the psychiatric councelor for the school, brought to us. I think his professional experience told him we needed it. Then came the classes in which the UN teachers allowed us to sit in and participate. I think we were more of a distraction but the teacher in my class was quite controlled and perservered in keeping the lesson going. We did some basic sentences and some mathematics. The mathematics seemed particularily enjoyable for the boy next to me who seemed to marvel at the tools for reasoning the solutions. Afterwards, we started football again and on my breaks I danced and sang with some of the boys. All and all it was an amazing experience for me and this Saturday I'll be sure to eat well and get a good night's sleep on Friday so I may keep up with the enthusiasm and dynamism of these great kids
“I saw Ramallah”
Report by our volunteer Esther
It is the first time I’ve left Bethlehem and seen the countryside by daylight. Under a clear sky and a bright sun, I saw stony hills and populations of old, wizened olive trees growing from a light brown soil. I sit with four other Karama volunteers and a guide in a taxi on a road to Ramallah. The Wall seems our constant companion to our left, with checkpoints appearing from time to time as a bothersome acquaintance. Walking through the streets of Ramallah, I begin soaking up the atmosphere. I want to get to know the city, to feel its uniqueness. Although it is Ramadan, the streets are busy and full with busy people and the tempting smell of falafel. The latter is inescapable.
Our trip consists of three destinations. The first is the resting place of Yasser Arafat. It is a plain, square white building in the very center of Ramallah. Surrounding the structure are well groomed lawns and a light blue water basin. The flowing water represents the enduring Palestinian movement and the struggle for independence. Our second stop is for a meeting with the Governor of Ramallah. He explains to us, over the course of half an hour, the central tenets and ideology of the Fatah Party and how it is distinctive from the other Palestinian political parties (Hamas, in particular). Finally, we meet with Ahmad Qatamish, of the PFLP, who shares with us his personal experiences in 17 years of hiding and Israeli imprisonment. He is a vibrant personality with strong beliefs and the knowledge and wisdom that comes from a lifetime of hard experience.
So, what has been the uniqueness of Ramallah? Its secrets, streets, and people are still foreign to me. I simply have to return, maybe many more times, in order to feel I truly understand it.
Volunteers
This week we had to say goodbye to four of our volunteers. Anna and Sonja from Germany, Paula from Columbia and Silja from Norway. We thank you for the help, Energy and joy you shared with Karama.
At the same time we would like to welcome four new volunteers. Matthew and Betsy from the U.S. who are going to run art,-music- and athletic classes, as well as Jonathan and Fowsia from Canada who will help us in teaching English to the kids
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