2009 Programs and Events
“Hands of Kindness” Connects Consulate to Palestinian Youth in Ramallah and Nablus
Continuing its ongoing Ramadan celebrations with Palestinian youth, U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem, in partnership with AMIDEAST, sponsored two “Hands of Kindness” events in Ramallah and Nablus. Current ACCESS students and YES program alumni volunteered in their local communities to put on this special peer-to-peer event for young Palestinians coming from orphanages and disadvantaged backgrounds. On September 15, more than forty girls from a local Ramallah school interacted with fifteen ACCESS and YES volunteers, and on September 16, forty boys and girls from Nablus joined fifteen more ACCESS and YES volunteers for traditional Ramadan iftars. Following the Iftar, the volunteers entertained the audience in an American carnival-style affair, which included pie-eating contests, tic-tac-toe, ring-throwing, water balloons and more. The YES and ACCESS volunteers wore clown outfits and painted faces and played games with the kids, contributing to the carnival atmosphere. The events closed with the YES and Access students distributing gifts to the children.
