Since the YES alumni in the West Bank believe that happiness is attained through the act of giving, they organized a fundraiser on January 19. The fundraiser was a board game night hosted at the Amideast office in Ramallah. The alumni charged a small entrance fee of 15 shekels (~$4.50 USD) per person. Thirteen YES alumni, one English Access Microscholarship Program alum, and thirteen friends of the alumni attended the fundraiser.  

At the fundraiser, everyone played different board games and enjoyed connecting with each other. The event also included a bake sale, where alumni sold various baked goods, including popcorn, candies, and a Palestinian dish called Mujaddareh which was served with yogurt. The money earned from the bake sale was then donated to the fundraiser. Overall, the alumni raised 550 shekels (~$160 USD) from the fundraiser.  

On March 16, ten YES alumni visited the SOS Children’s Village in Bethlehem. The SOS Children's Village is an organization that helps children and young people who have lost parents or guardians through alternative family systems. The alumni hosted a medical activity to educate 53 children ages 6-13 about body systems through a question-and-answer game. They also taught the children how to perform oxygen saturation and blood pressure tests. The alumni also hosted an educational board game focused on concentration and memory.  

Dalia Hassan (YES 2019-2020, West Bank, placed by ACES in Lambert, MT)