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Big Smiles for Refugees!

Aida Photo Collage

YES alumni know what it is like to be far from home and to feel displaced. They also know how important it is to pay attention to the needs of the less fortunate in their home communities. In Palestine, this frequently leads the YES alumni to create fun activities for refugee children.

On July 31, the YES alumni network in the West Bank held a fun day for 40 kids between the ages of 6 - 12 from Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem. It was a big event, so 21 alumni showed up to help! The fun day was held at the Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society, an independent, dynamic, community-based not-for-profit organization which strives to empower children and women by targeting behavior, knowledge, concepts and practices through creative and non-violent means.

At the center, the alumni they separated the kids into seven groups and assigned a YES team-leader to each group. The groups took turns playing at the various gaming stations supervised by the YES alumni volunteers. They enjoyed ball games, target games, pyramid-crash, hula-hoop throw, face-painting, building towers, and more!

The alumni played a key role in the success of the event. They played with the kids, cheered for them, laughed with them, and even danced with the kids. In the end, the entire group played one final game - animal bingo.  It was a great way to end a day that left everyone very pleased. The children and YES alumni all went home with big smiles on their faces!


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