Volunteer With Palestinian Orphanages: Hebron City, in the Occupied West Bank, is home to several orphanages that provide essential care and support to thousands of Palestinian children who have lost one or both of their parents. The high number of orphans in the region is largely due to ongoing conflict, military occupation, economic hardship, and limited access to healthcare. Some children lose their parents to direct violence, such as military raids, airstrikes, and clashes. Others are caused by the impact of long-term instability, including imprisonment of family members, displacement, or lack of access to health services.
There are approximately 7,000 orphans in and around Hebron city, ranging from infants to young adults. These orphanages provide essential services such as housing, education, medical care, and psychological support to children without stable family situations. They often rely on funding from local charities, international donors, and religious organizations to support their operations. Some orphanages also function as social enterprises, operating businesses like kitchens and grocery stores to generate income and further support their work.
In the Gaza Strip, the number of children served in orphanages represents only a small fraction of the countless orphaned children in need of care and protection. The number of unprotected orphans in Gaza has surpassed 33,000, with many of these children being unaccompanied by any family members.
Volunteer With Palestinian Orphanages for 2025/2026
Volunteer in Palestine is now accepting applications for its Volunteer with Palestinian Orphanages program for 2025/2026. These meaningful volunteer opportunities are perfect for individuals eager to make a positive impact in the West Bank or Gaza.
Whether you’re passionate about education, community development, or supporting vulnerable youth, this program offers a chance to contribute to the well-being and growth of Palestinian children in orphanages. Volunteers will play a key role in providing educational support, organizing activities, and helping to empower young people facing challenging circumstances. Join us in making a difference while gaining invaluable experience in one of the most unique and rewarding volunteer programs.
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Introduction to the Program: Volunteer With Palestinian Orphanages
Volunteering with a Palestinian Orphanage is a new program Volunteer in Palestine offers. This program was started to help the many orphans around Hebron with more resources and support, especially in-person support from our international volunteers.
The social-political situation in the West Bank continues to worsen. As arbitrary arrests, raids in towns, and poor access to healthcare increase, it is more important than ever to ensure these young people have the support they need to grow up well and become good citizens.
During this program, volunteers will spend time at the orphanages around Hebron, using their time, skills, and experience to make a difference in the lives of these children.
Your First Week in Hebron
Your first week in Hebron is about getting settled in and familiar with your new surroundings.
Breakfast is provided every morning at the Center (except the Friday holiday) and typically consists of bread, olive oil and za’atar, hummus, labneh, baba ganoush, falafel, and cucumber and tomato–basically everything you will find in a traditional Palestinian morning meal. Center staff, volunteers, and interns all sit together during breakfast as custom dictates, allowing everyone a chance to touch base while creating stronger communal bonds.
The Center also facilitates regular excursions into Hebron and neighboring cities throughout the week, allowing you to see the city and learn some of its history. Evenings are usually free, allowing volunteers to explore the city and its many restaurants, shops, and historical sites alone or together.
Importantly, volunteers also attend Arabic courses twice weekly for an hour and a half per session, which will also require some study and preparation. This will give you some language to speak with the people in the village or area of their placement.
Daily Activities for Volunteers in a Palestinian Orphanage
Every day will be a new adventure in this program! The structure is flexible, meaning that you can pick your area of focus depending on your interests and the orphanage’s needs. For example, if you have a background or interest in teaching, you could focus more on teaching English to the children. If you have more of a professional or vocational background, you could support more with mentorship or skills-building.
Below are some of the ways you might spend your time during the course of your time at Volunteer in Palestine:
Tutoring Sessions to Palestinian Children
Tutoring can help provide extra educational support to the children, encouraging their growth and future potential. Volunteers can teach English classes, help with the kids’ homework, or organize educational games in this area. Speaking with people from overseas is an exciting opportunity for them!
Recreational Activities
A big part of the children’s lives is recreation activities, which help build their interpersonal skills, teamwork, confidence, and creativity. They also help to build a sense of community and cohesiveness within the orphanage. Volunteers can organize and host activities like sports events, arts and crafts sessions, or storytelling.
Providing Emotional Support
Volunteers will build relationships with the children during their time in this program, providing support, care, and friendship. This kind of emotional engagement is important for children to grow up having healthy relationships. It also provides a richness to their daily lives.
Bring Your Own Skills and Expertise!
This program aims to help these children grow up into well-rounded adults in society despite the absence of one or both parents. Any skills or expertise that you can bring from your home country is deeply appreciated and will be useful in helping the education and growth of orphans in Hebron.
Other Ways to Help
Not everyone is able to travel to Palestine for this volunteer program. However, you can still help support the orphanages by making your own financial contribution and helping to provide quality education and a safe roof over the heads of the children.
Impact of the Volunteer With Palestinian Orphanages Program
On the Palestinian Children
Volunteering with a Palestinian orphanage is a great way to make a meaningful impact with your time and contribute to children’s social and educational development in the West Bank. Children at the orphanages around Hebron love to receive and spend time with international visitors, and there are many ways that your presence helps their development: through supporting their education, practicing their English with native speakers, and feeling like their stories have been heard by the world.
On the International Volunteers
Spending time in a Palestinian orphanage is also a rich experience for the people who come to volunteer. The work is incredibly rewarding, especially when there is discernible progress from the children as they learn and grow. Volunteers witness the children’s incredible resilience and hope, helping to change their lives and perspectives as they hear such inspiring stories.
Who is This Program For?
Volunteering in a Palestinian orphanage is perfect for those passionate about the education and well-being of children, improving the lives of people in Palestinian communities, and becoming more informed about the political situation in the West Bank.
This program is especially beneficial for university students, as Volunteer in Palestine is able to provide academic credit to program participants through our partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Education. Additionally, recent graduates will find this to be a great opportunity for contextual application of their specialty while building their skills.
Duration of the Program
People can volunteer with Palestinian orphanages anywhere from 1-13 weeks, depending on the length of the visa they receive. This program operates year-round, so we are able to accommodate needs in terms of program duration and timing. Reach out to Info@ecpalestine.org to enquire about volunteering today.
Housing
When residing in Hebron, participants in the program can either stay with a Palestinian host family (depending on availability) or in a very nice apartment just a 5-minute walk from Volunteer in Palestine. Both options offer unique advantages.
Staying in the apartment provides extra time to bond with other participants and volunteers, fostering a sense of community. Located near Hebron’s metropolitan center, the apartment offers convenient access to explore the vibrant city with fellow roommates, opening the door to many new and exciting experiences!
Residing with a host family will give participants an intimate view of Palestinian daily life, customs, and culture, allowing them to become familiar with family structures and taste some of the delicious Palestinian cuisine. It’s also likely that participants residing with a host family will be invited to family gatherings and cultural events, guaranteeing a culturally immersive experience!
Participants may also choose to live in private accommodation, which will entail covering their own expenses. We will help find a suitable living situation if this option is preferred.
For this program, participants may also arrange to stay at the orphanage in guest accommodation for a few days or even a few weeks, depending on availability at the time of booking.
Safety and Logistics
Since 2011, Volunteer in Palestine has hosted over 1000 volunteers across our wide range of programs. We provide secure housing, a supportive community, and lots of pre-departure support (including travel advice) to ensure your time in Palestine is smooth and enriching.
For any additional questions about security, visit our frequently naked questions. To speak directly with our team about your concerns, please email Info@ecpalestine.org directly.
Overview of the Volunteer with Palestinian Orphanages Program
| Program Location | Hebron, Palestine |
| Program Fees | Starting at €250, Check our price list here |
| Registration Fees | €30 |
| Age | 18-70 |
| Duration | 1 Week – 3 Months |
| Arabic Teaching Hours | Flexible To Fit THe Participant’s Schedule |
| One Teaching Hour | 45 Minutes |
| Number of Participants | 1-5 |
| Program Focus | Volunteering with a Palestinian Orphanage Volunteering With Children Teaching English Children’s Wellbeing and Support |
| Related Subjects | Middle East Studies Arabic Language and Literature Case Studies on Israel-Palestine Humanitarian Support |
| Start/End Dates | Flexible To Fit The Participant’s Schedule |
| Application Deadline | No Deadline |
| University Credit | Available |
| Educational Degree | Not Required |
| Program Language | English/Arabic |
Reviews, Ratings, and Community Awards
The Excellence Center in Palestine has been honored with several prestigious Community Awards and recognized as the Best Language School and Top Volunteer and Internship Program Provider for 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. For more details, please visit our profiles on GoOverseas.com and GoAbroad.com.
- +850 reviews (96%) on gooverseas.com
- +170 reviews (96%) on goabroad.com
- Internship in Palestine participants’ video testimonials
Summary
The Volunteer With Palestinian Orphanages Program is perfect for those passionate about education, the well-being of children, and spending time with local people in the West Bank. As part of this program, volunteers will support the development of some of Hebron’s 7000 orphans, including educational, recreational, and skills-building support.
Additionally, participants will experience Arabic language and cultural immersion while living in Hebron as they learn the language and spend time immersed in Palestinian communities. This program is a great place to start for those looking to learn more about the Palestinian cause and help support local communities.
How To Apply
If you are interested in participating in this program, please email us at Info@ecpalestine.org. We should respond to your initial inquiry within 1 business day.
In the subject line of your email, write “Volunteer With Palestinian Orphanages.” Upon your response, we will attach an application form, which you will fill out and return to us to begin onboarding.
How To Get Further Information
For more information, please visit our website: https://excellencenter.org/
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