Being with a host family in a foreign country is a unique experience where you have the chance to live every single detail of the daily life, attending the traditional occasions and share a great time with the family members. Palestine has been a good destination for those who look to live with a host family. As might know that Palestine is under the Israeli occupation which makes the number of the international visitors less than any other normal country. This makes Palestinian more eager to know people who come from every corner in the world where they treat them as one of their family members.
Palestinians are educated people and they fully understand the fairness of their case and this what push them toward informing the international visitors of the situation in Palestine and how they suffer of the Israeli occupation and the daily harassment done by the Israeli settlers.
Many of those who resided with a host family in Palestine gained a great experience in their life. They has the chance to share their habits, traditions, thoughts, food and times together where they learn from each other and get to know other sides of people’s life. Palestinians are very known for being welcoming people and incredibly hospitable, where you might be invited to have a tea or coffee with someone you have just met. They are raised on the philosophy of taking care of their guests whoever they are and to make them feel comfortable as if they had known them for long time or as if they are part of the family.
Isabelle King is one of those who did this experience and enjoyed a lot being within a Palestinian host family. Isabelle says “I love pretty much everything about my host family, from the delicious Palestinian food to our family outings to discussions at the dinner table. But what I love most is just getting to experience the pace and style of Palestinian life in a large family. The entire extended family lives in the same house, 16 people in total. And unlike what I’m used to in the US, the whole family really does function as a single unit. While we eat meals in the smaller nuclear family units, we socialize and work all together. The family is also intimately connected to the rest of the neighborhood in ways I rarely see in the US”
Lucie who come from Czech Republic also lived with a Palestinian host family told her experience by saying “My host family also tries to show the internationals local cuisine, so they can experience all the different food here. That is really good, because the local food is very diverse! My family also takes me on trips, for example to the mountains and to visit their relatives. They are simply doing their best to make me feel like one of the family members. Living family life here has a lot of advantages, because you can not only see, but also live as a Palestinian does on a daily basis”
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How to apply or ask for additional information?
To apply to any of our programs: Please send an email to Mr. Tamimi at info@gopalestine.org. Please type the name of the chosen program in the subject line. We will then contact you back!