Islam

Delegation Leader, 2007
Seeds of Peace Fellow, 2016

IMPACT: SOCIAL

Creating a safe space for Palestinian youth to learn about the environment and grow.

How have you impacted your community?

I have a BA degree in project management and I am Executive Manager of the Bani Naim Charitable Society, a civil organization working to serve the local community in Hebron.

The Society brings together individuals from different communities in an effort to identify and analyze sources of conflict, and seeks to integrate conflict mitigation and economic results from the conflict, looking for developmental approach for solving community problems. My role at the Bani Naim Charitable Society is to identify problems facing the community and to plan for activities for addressing them. It has been successful in providing direct rehabilitation services to the local population, including educational, social, and awareness-building.

Over the course of the GATHER Fellowship, I launched an environmental education center for students in Bani Naim and the surrounding area. Throughout the Fellowship we completed the construction of the site, developed educational curricula, and opened our doors to the public. Over 3,000 people have already been through our doors ranging from Hebron to Bethlehem. We are teaching them basic tools of environmentalism and conservationism. The center serves as a safe space for children to learn and grow, and works to reduce the various psychological stresses and conflicts in our greater community.

“By teaching young people to care for their environment, I believe the center will help encourage a peaceful society and help develop leadership skills.”