On October 16, YES alumni in Jordan held the eighth edition of their major community service project, “Inkush Beitak”, which means “pick your house” in Arabic. The YES alumni typically hold this event once a year, but this was the second time they hosted “Inkush Beitak” in 2021, in response to the pandemic’s significant impact on their community.

The project collects donations of clothes, shoes, toys, household items, and blankets, which are then distributed to underserved families in a bazaar-style giveaway, free of charge. Before the main event, the YES alumni gathered at the Amideast/Jordan office in Amman to sort through the collected donations. They categorized the donations and then place them in bags and boxes to prepare for distribution.

On the day of the giveaway, the YES alumni, along with their friends and family members who also volunteered, headed to AlBaqaa’ Refugee Camp — one of the biggest Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan — to host the distribution event. A total of 4,560 donations were arranged in a boutique-style display for visitors to browse and see which items caught their attention. By the end of the day, a total of 170 families benefited from this event. The large and enthusiastic turnout to every “Inkush Beitak” event is what motivates the YES alumni to continue organizing these bazaars.  

The founder of this project, Khloud AlZubi, says, “Giving is an internal concept, and it can be money, effort, or time. Our contribution to ‘Inkush Beitak’ resulted from our love for others. We gave up things we love to support people with the least number of resources. Our goal is to host the bazaar monthly or even weekly. This would not happen without the community’s support.”

Khloud AlZubi (YES 2012–2013, Jordan, placed by PAX in Santa Fe, NM)