A trip to camden and the madness of Pink Day!

Our first visit to Camden girls school was 'a pink day' where all the students & the teachers were wearing pink clothes! We don't have this type of event in Palestinian girls schools, though it is a great way to fund raise for breast cancer patients - we would love to have such events in Palestinian schools, which would be fun and useful for others too!
We are so excited to meet the girls properly but not this week because it is the holiday for the next term of the year, so we are looking forward to seeing them in two weeks ! ;)

A talent show at CSG to raise money for breast cancer
showcasing students' best pink outfits !

London! Expect some cards from Abu Dis!

Dear London, 

Today we worked on... something for you! We will be sending our letters to your school with our volunteer, Waad, who will be travelling to London soon! Just wait and see...

Here are the girls at work:

Posters in LSU School

Today we went to LSU School and, we met Erika  and two girls there, we discussed some subjects about,  how to advertising and tell the students about our activities and programmes  through, wrıtıng a bıg poster to be hung on the wall, including a pictures for the map of palestine to let the students know about the place obviously.
during our speech Suzan told them about the Olympic Winter, and 18 of the students in Palestine will come next December, to practise some sports in London and to let them to share with the other.

Meet the students at the Abu Dis Girls School!

Hello from Abu Dis !

Today I finally had the first session with the 7th and 9th grade. So exciting!

After introducing each other, we brainstormed some ideas about what TWINNING means, why we do it, and how you make a twinning [see some ideas below]. The girls focused on communication and wanted to ask the girls in London if they would like to exchange emails or Facebook! What do you say?? :D

 The girls also introduced themselves on paper so that the students in Camden can get to know them, and hopefully reply to their questions! Have a look below!

Mary with the 9th grade in the library

The girls of grade 7 drawing (see below!)

Some ideas about twinning

Meet the girls in Grade 7! Here is what they drew and wrote about their lives. The girls in Grade 9 wrote some short letters that I will send to the volunteers in London so that their students can get to know them as well!

And finally... an artwork that we found at the school... Some students had made some sheep in preparation for 'Eid, which was last week (on the 15th of October)!

Strike !!!

Our meeting at LSU today was cancelled as many teachers were striking against their pay, 
pensions and workload. In Palestine we are very familiar with school closures - teachers 
equally object to their working conditions and the lack of finances but they also protest 
against the political situation. 

يوم التجمع الطلابي في مدرسة LSU

يوم التجمع الطلابي في مدرسة LSU
,  اليوم كان جيدا ذهبنا إلى المدرسة  , لحضور التجمع الطلابي التي تعقده المدرسة, بداية بدأت نفيس في الكلام وتحدثت عن الأوضاع التي تعانيها فلسطين واخبرتهم عن مدى سعادتها واهتمامها بفلسطين وتحدثت عن الفترة التي امضتها في فلسطين كمتطوعة وما مدى اهتمامها في حقوق الانسان وانها ستدرس هذا المجال في دراستها الجامعية وان الدافع الذي جعلها تختار هذا المجال هو انتهاك حقوق الانسان في فلسطين وهي تعتبرها خير مثال على ذلك.
وبعد ذلك تحدثت سوزان عن مدى اهمية حقوق الانسان و تحدثت باختصار عن مجال عملنا مع المؤسسة وان الهدف الرئيسي من ذلك هو رفع مدى الوعي في مجال حقوق الانسان وخلق روابط بين الطلاب في ابو ديس ولندن وتعزيز العلاقات في ما بينهم للوصول الى مستقبل افضل,

Assembly day in LSU School

Today we went to LSU School to attend an assembly where Nafis - a student in the sixth form - talked to the students about her experience of visiting Palestine this summer and encouraged others to attend the Palestinian Twinning Club in order to learn more about what it is like living in Palestine.  Suzan also introduced herself to the students and she told them why she is here and what she is doing and about our aims here in London. We hope to see some new faces at the lunch time meeting this Thursday!  

Our second trip to LSU school

We started our day as usual, at the morning we went to the office and, we were talking about the activities which we will be for the next week, after that we ( Tariq and Suzan) went to LSU school, and we met Miss Arrika, Jessica, Lous, Nafi's, and some girls from the school. We had a plan for the assembly which will be held next monday. Nafis is going to talk about the background of the situation in Palestine and will introduce us to the students, after that she will encourage them to take a part in an Assembly where we will talk in front of 150 of student in order to explain to them about the challenges in Palestine.

First day at the Abu Dis Girls School

Hello London!

My first day at the Girls School in Abu Dis did not go exactly as expected, as we did not manage to have our first session with the girls. However, after arranging the schedule for next time (Sunday after the 'Eid holiday), Waad and I briefly met with the girls from the 7th grade. None of the girls have been part of a twinning before. After the first introductions, explanations of the project, an attempted introduction in a rudimentary Arabic from my side (Ismee Mary!), and lots of questions, we had to let the girls go back to their class. First impressions: lots of excitement in the air, it seems we will be having lots of fun! Looking forwards to meeting the 8th and 9th grade next week!

Mary with the 7th grade girls.

 Graffiti at the Girls School

 Map of the Arab world

Graffiti saying: "Whenever there is love and harmony, we will definitely create something good"

 The Abu Dis Girls School

The beginning of a new term!

A new, exciting term is starting for the twinning groups in England and Palestine. Yesterday, Matthew and I (Mary), the two new volunteers in Abu Dis, had a tour of the schools where we will be facilitating the twinning links and met with the principals and teachers. We can’t wait to meet the students this week!