written by: Saleh Dawabsheh. This post in Arabic
translated to English by: Enas Tineh
This week’s story is about a group of young men and women who call themselves “Ehna Ghir” “We Are Different” voluntary group. Their goal simply is to increase the level of volunteerism in Palestine, and to fix its image that was sullied by institutions in many different ways, like; giving money to people in return for their volunteer work, which made goal of these people money and not to volunteer. Furthermore, those institutions started exploiting volunteers,
concentrating the volunteer work on areas that are not socially relevant, and finally these institutions most of the times were part of political entities or some other factions.
“EhnaGhir” voluntary group is special and different because they don’t belong to any political party or any otherl faction, they don’t receive support from anyone. Their activities are thought of, planned and executed by them only.
Their Head quarter is on the internet. The ten main members of the group discuss and plan potential activities via emails, they then send a message to all members using their Facebook group, and then they establish an event page on facebook to be received by thousands of Palestinian youth.
One of their important activities was the “Kitabi Kitabak” (My book is yours) initiative.
This initiative was launched by Hana El Ramli, an engineer from Jordan. The aim was to establish children libraries in every Palestinian refugee camp and poor neighborhoods. The volunteers collect books from people and they deliver them to libraries.
The group opened the first library in Dir Ammar refugee camp near Ramallah. Their next library will be in Al-Jeftlik near Jericho inshAllah.
It’s worth mentioning that this initiative was the main reason for establishing “ehna gheir” group late 2009.
Deir Ammar library opening news on WAFA Palestine News & Information Agency
Pictures of volunteers during the preparation of the library and the opening.
Cleaning and painting the library
Painting the walls of the library
Installing the shelves- the shelves were the doors of an old used cupboard.
Distributing the posters about the initiative in Dir Ammar and Ramallah
preparing for the opening
The opening
The first activity in the library after the opening
The group also does what they call play and joy days for children in refugee camps and
marginalized areas
A play and Joy day for children in Aida refugee camp-Bethlehem
A play and joy day in Bileen village
WING DAY – Al Ram near the separation wall- the children wrote their dreams and flew them above
the wall.
A joy day in Ramallah Hospital- Children’s wing
A play and Joy day for children of Arab Al Jahalin- Khan Al Alahmar area
AlArabiya channel report
activity photos
The group also helps farmer to plant trees and maintain their lands threatened by confiscation from settlers:
Al Mughayer area near Ramallah
Qarawat Bani Hassan- a joint activity with Al Amal Al Tatawo’i group
Um Salamuna-Bethlehem
Ertas-Bethlehem
A video about one of the areas where the volunteers of the group joined the effort to
maintain it- Ertas/Bethelehem.
To be a part of the group, join the group on facebook via this link
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=192394517252&ref=ts
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