Lecturer in Electronics Engineering, Volunteering in Humans without Borders since 2016.
Why Humans without Borders?
I was looking for a place where I could identify with its goals and values and volunteer. I stumbled upon a TV overview of "The Road to Recovery". The website of this NGO directed me to volunteer in the Jerusalem area with Humans without Borders. I have been associated with the NGO since then.
What Do You Do in the NGO?
I drive patients at least once a week.
What Does Volunteering Mean to You?
Volunteering − even if paltry, makes me feel like I have done something positive for someone who has many difficulties in his life. Beyond that, my influence as an individual on the politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is very limited. Volunteering allows me to feel that in each trip, in any relationship with a Palestinian family, I contribute a little to peace and understanding between the two sides.
What Are the Challenges Posed by Volunteering In the NGO?
The first child I drove on a regular basis was Rida. A lovely boy whose condition suddenly became critical, and he passed away. I was very sad to learn of his death. The same thing happened with the sweet Mayar, later with Wajdi and other children who did not survive. Over time, even though I do not speak Arabic beyond basic sentences, real contact and empathy is established with the children. Separation at death is not easy.
In general, it is difficult to see the families who, in addition to the daily difficulties living under occupation, have been dealt a cruel hand and also suffer because of their childrens' illnesses.
How Would You Describe Humans Without Borders?
Humans without Borders as its name implies gives priority to human lives, and then to breaking down physical boundaries that block you from being human and helping. The phrase "without borders" carries with it a double meaning. The first − without physical limits and the second − in the sense of doing good without limits. This is how I perceive all the volunteers in the NGO.