West Bank

Ibrahim Tannira `04 recieves flowers following the Ramadan Roadshow play.

Hadil Dalloul `02, initiated a project to collect donations so that underprivileged children could purchase new clothes for Eid Al -Fitr. The project was named the "Joy of the Eid” in honor of the Muslim holiday. During Eid most children receive new clothes and other presents from their families following the traditional month of fasting during Ramadan. Hadil convinced her friends in the Law Club at Birzeit University to join her in this endeavor and together the group raised funds from fellow university students and their families. The students collected over 10,000 shekels and transferred these into coupons for use at local stores. The coupons were distributed equally to the Mugtarebeen School, the Amari refugee camp, and the Women’s Assembly in Ramallah, who distributed them to needy children. Hadeel recently met with a child who benefited from her efforts. He expressed his gratitude to all of the young people that worked on this project and he said he was very pleased that he had the opportunity to celebrate the holiday in his new clothes.

Also during Ramadan, a group of alumni came up with a clever idea for sharing their experiences in the United States as YES exchange students by putting together a play. This play became know as “The Ramdan Road Show” as the performances took place during the holy month of Ramadan and focused on the various experiences the alumni had while in the United States. The performances were held in over nine secondary schools and the following alumni participated: Diana Al-Zeer `04, Yasser Abdallah `04, Maha Thaher `04, Majdal Nijim `04, Ibrahim Tannira `04, Jihad Naji `05,Raad Bader `05, Linda Jaber `05, Amal Abed Rabo `05, Maysa Rantisi `06, Abdallah Radwan `06, Ata Yousef `06, Batoul AbuAssa `06, Muna Aghanimmer `06, and Hind Daoud `06. The play was an excellent vehicle for recruiting potential YES participants. During the play, the alumni discussed cultural differences along with the breaking down of stereotypes about America and the American people. Diana said, “Visiting the schools of Salfeet and Tulkarem carried me back in time to four years ago, when it was the first time I learned about the YES program. I could empathize with the students who were both anxious and excited at the prospect of studying in the United States. As a result, I spoke to the students about everything we experienced during the school year including: living with an American host family, taking classes, making friends, and volunteering through community service activities. It felt great to share my perspective and I really hope the students we met with apply to YES and are selected.” According to Maysa, “Going to Jericho and Nablus to perform the “Ramadan Road Show” play was a wonderful vehicle to encourage the youth of my country to open their eyes and take on the challenge of living overseas as an exchange student on the YES program.” Abdallah noted that the audiences were very receptive to the “Ramadan Road Show”. “At Al-Khader secondary school the girls asked me many questions and were very interested in the program. However, sometimes it is difficult for young women to travel outside the Palestinian territories as culturally, parents tend to be over protective of their daughters.” However, he hopes many will grasp the opportunity to study in the United States as the benefits of the program far outweigh the risks.