YES alumni around the world often find ways to connect organizations and beneficiaries to continue the spirit of service they experienced in their host communities. In the West Bank, that spirit recently took the form of a very bubbly day!

On May 6th, seven YES alumni headed to the SOS Youth Village in Bethlehem where over 120 orphans live. The SOS Village is structured so the kids live in family units, and the 14 SOS houses in Bethlehem are built right next to one another so that they resemble a village. The kids living at the SOS Village in Bethlehem have all experienced childhood trauma, and the YES alumni wanted to help them have fun like any other normal child. 

Aya Jilani (YES 2014-2015, hosted by AFS in DeKalb, IL) works with Bubbles, a company that provides shows and fun activities for kids at special events. She put two and two together and suggested that YES Alumni should host such an event at the SOS Village.

The Saturday of the big event started with a visit to one of the family units in the village. The YES alumni learned more about the context of the event by seeing how the SOS Village operates, spending time with the kids in their home, and asking questions. 

After that intro sessions, around 100 orphans from the SOS Village and partner organizations joined together for the fun day that the YES alumni made especially for them. Aya and two of her co-workers held dancing and singing activities and competitions, cartoon characters made a special appearance, and the YES alumni handed out balloon animals. The kids played with a parachute, got their faces painted, and also watched a live puppet show. And they played with bubbles, of course!

At the beginning of the event, the YES alumni noticed many of the kids seemed apprehensive and unsure. But after just ten minutes of activities, everyone loosened up and had a blast. The YES alumni volunteers helped these kids who need it the most get used to playing and having fun. By all accounts, the children, the adult supervisors, and the YES alumni all enjoyed the event to the fullest. SOS Village asked the alumni to come back again soon!