UNRWA

One of the reasons I decided to apply to CIEE was the contacts they have with local organizations who would welcome American volunteers. On the website they were quite vague about what organizations those might be, but during orientation we were given a list. The great thing is that we contact the organizations ourselves and set up an arrangement with them, without help from CIEE. So far I've been satisfied with the program, but it is a bit all-encompassing. Almost everything we could possibly want or need is taken care of or we're shown how to do it, which of course makes our lives easier, but I didn't want to study abroad because it would be easy. The difficulty is part of the appeal, at least for me.

So far I've only contacted one organization, a particular UNRWA camp (UNRWA is the UN organization that provides specifically for Palestinian refugees) called Gaza Camp. I think it's located right outside the city, and they're looking for a number of volunteers to fill specific positions. The only opportunities that I am qualified for involve teaching English, either to refugees or other volunteers, but that's fine with me. They don't require TEFL training, just English speakers, although it sounds like the classes are meant to prepare the students to pass TEFL type exams. I got a response to my email which consisted of the list of open positions, but it sounds like they really need people. The large numbers of Palestinian refugees in Jordan, and the possibility that I might be able to work with them in some way, was part of the reason I decided to come to Jordan, so this is very encouraging.