We are
now two weeks into the summer camp here in the Al Askar refugee
camp. We host about three hundred children, and we have several
different programs that the children participate in. My co-worker
and I are responsible for the counseling and therapy of the children.
We meet with groups of about 65 different children ranging from
12-16 years old. The children are so happy when they are at the
camp. There are many classes such as: music, dance, Islam, art,
counseling, health and Palestinian history. I take debka classes
with some of the older girls, which is a traditional Palestinian
folk dance.
The summer
camp has changed Al Askar. The children all seem to have a connection
with one another, and the volunteers have become great friends
of the children. Everyone in the village is aware of the new center
that was built for the camp, and it has created a feeling of hope
that the their children can look forward to the future. I go to
the camp almost every day, and I always attract about 15 to twenty
children that follow me around the village. It's kind of like
being Mary Poppins, but without all of the singing.
The camp
was put under a great deal of strain when the Israeli soldiers
bombed the home of 5 families, leaving 21 people homeless. Their
goal was to punish the family of a man named Ali. They have been
unable to find him for the last 4 months, and no one has heard
from him, not even his family. So they went to the village of
his family at 2:00 am and gave them 3 minutes to grab their children
and get out of the house. The homes here are very close to one
another, and the Israelis bombed Ali's family home by air, so
many houses were destroyed. The village has come together to help
clean what is left of the homes.
There
is no such thing as home insurance here. Not like the U.S. Everything
that they had is now gone. all they have is each other and the
clothes on their backs. I visit Rasheeda, Ali's mother, every
two or three days. Her faith in God has given her great strength.
Her 75 year old husband, two sons, and daughter were all taken
by the soldiers that same night. She said that she does not care
about the house or anything in it. She just wants her family back.
My cousin and I are making a video about the camp and the intifada.
I hope to show it to as many people as I can when I return home.
Salaam
(peace)
