This summer I am very excited to be travelling to Israel and Palestine with the non-profit, Canadian, organization called Operation Groundswell. I received an email through my school in November about this organization and I knew this was something I would want to be a part of. All of their trips sounded amazing, however for me it was a tie between India and the Middle East. I have always wanted to go to India but at the same time, my passion for the Middle East was overwhelming that I decided to apply for that program.
When I got a call saying that my application had been approved and I had to schedule an interview I could not believe that it was actually happening. I thought the interview went very well and I had a lovely chat with Miriam, who would be one of the group leaders this summer.
I decided to write a little blog post keeping everyone up to date with how the process is going and to talk to you about the organizations we will be working with. I will also share an inspiring video in the hopes that it will inspire you to travel the world, volunteer or join OG on one of their adventures.
I love travelling and volunteering and so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do both.
Check out this inspiring video made by Operation Groundswell: Backpacking with a Purpose.
The Organizations:
Rabbis For Human Rights RHR advocates for the rights of the minorities in both Israeli and Palestinian Societies. One of their policies is to put pressure on the Israeli policy makers to make sure the human rights of these vulnerable members are upheld.
Naseej CenterThis is a Palestinian non-profit organization that strives to enhance Palestinian society through peace and education. They work primarily with women, children and the disabled and run various social activities such as sport teams, educational centers and libraries.
Keffiyeh CenterThis is a social/youth organization established in Palestine in 2012. This is a new organization that OG has partnered with and the aim is to provide services to children in the refugee camps.
I am also being told that we may add a fourth group with an organization for women in Hebron. This has not been confirmed, but fingers crossed!
Fundraising Page
I have bought my backpack (65L) for the trip and my goodness it is huge. I am not a super short person but this backpack is almost the size of me!
I have never been on a backpacking trip before and so it is something I am looking forward to trying.
Stay tuned for related posts. I think I might to a few on packing. If anyone has any suggestions of what to pack please let me know. I have a couple maxi skirts but I think I might get some more from Target or Walmart.
80 days left!
Happy Travels.Labels: 2014, Adventure, Israel, Middle East, Operation Groundswell, Palestine, Travel, Volunteer
