I have often thought of teaching English as a second language, but have never made the effort to acquire the training. When MAPMES extended the invitation to volunteer to teach English to the Bedouin children of Rahat, I decided to accept, hoping to discover whether I was suited for such work. I had no idea what would be in store for me just a short distance away from Beer Sheva.

From our first meeting with Majed, the director of the Step Forward Association, and the other members of his team, I knew that this would be a unique opportunity to experience the Bedouin community and culture, while at the same time contributing something to them in return. I was excited at the prospect of a more personal encounter with members of this segment of Israeli society, and of working together with the young Bedouin men and women whom I had met.

The Bedouin hospitality was demonstrated from the very beginning when one member of the team, Sharif, hosted the volunteers on a tour of Rahat, the largest Bedouin city in Israel. After a visit to the facilities of Step Forward and the community center where classes are held, we embarked on a scenic tour of Rahat, including a walk through the local souk (market) and a trip to an agricultural facility. The highlight of the day was lunch in a Bedouin tent, complete with tea, coffee, and little dancing girls.

Once a week I travel to Rahat with two other MAPMES volunteers. For a few hours every Tuesday we leave Beer Sheva and drive about twenty three kilometers north, to enter a different world. Rahat has a population of nearly forty thousand. It is also one of the poorest cities in Israel, with fifty percent of the adult population, and sixty percent of the children living below the poverty line. Still the kids manage to arrive for their English lesson with designer jeans, ball caps, and modest versions of the latest clothing styles.

Lauren and I work with a Bedouin man named Kasem. Together with him we teach two one-hour classes, one for boys and one for girls, aged 12-15. In the beginning the children were very shy, but clearly excited we were there. Lauren and I weren’t exactly sure what was expected of us, so for the first couple of weeks we just observed, and helped Kasem, whose English is impeccable, with a few grammar rules.

We knew that we had skills that were not being fully utilized, so Lauren and I offered to plan a few lessons. It was at this point I realized that I love working with these kids! As we began to work more directly with the children, to build a level of trust and comfort with them, they began to open up to us, and learning became fun.

One day I brought a bag of peppermint candy and a bag of bubblegum to help the children learn the difference between the “p” sound and the “b” sound – there is no “p” sound in Arabic. Another time we brought “soda” and “cups” as part of a demonstration for long and short vowel sounds – but we took the conversation and the cultural exchange to a new dimension when I produced a small cooler of ice for the long “i” sound, and for our drinks! In that same “vowel” lesson we cut apples with an apple cutter that I brought from the States. The kids had never seen anything like it before. They loved it so much, they have asked us to bring apples and the cutter to our end of the year party.

In a short amount of time we began to assess the level of English that each child had mastered, and to think about what kinds of lessons might help them to improve. We were able to tailor our lessons to meet their needs, and even to break our class into smaller groups in order to focus on more specific skills. Lauren and I chose to be very active in the teaching, and Kasem allowed us to be. But the purpose of this program is not so much that the volunteers would do the teaching, but that they would simply make themselves available to interact with the children and give them the opportunity to be exposed to another culture. It is enough for them to see us, hear us, and interact with us a bit. The need is great and volunteers are able to be involved to whatever degree they feel comfortable.

As a program developed and implemented by Bedouins, for Bedouins, there is much to be gained from the experience and insight of the Step Forward staff. This organization was established in 2000 by a group of young Rahat residents involved in education and aware of its importance for the future success of the Bedouin community. The same kind of committed young people continue to work at Step Forward today. These are the people that we volunteer alongside, and we have time every week to talk with them, ask questions, and get to know them. This has been another important aspect of the program. All the teachers that we are currently working with are also students at Ben Gurion University. Volunteering has given us the opportunity for friendship among the Bedouin students at the University whom we might otherwise never have met

Volunteering in Rahat has definitely been a highlight of my MAPMES experience. I have learned a great deal from the classroom but some things are best learned by practice. I have gained a cultural perspective, first hand, by taking this opportunity to look into a very specific aspect of the Bedouin community life. This relationship between MAPMES and Step Forward is good for the children, good for the Step Forward staff, and good for the MAPMES students. It is a rare occurrence when all parties benefit, and it has been my great pleasures to be a part of this one!

 

 

 

"MAP-MATE" Project

 

What is "MAP-MATE"?

"MAP-MATE" is a new and unique project shared by MAPMES program and the Department of Middle East Studies at Ben-Gurion University. The project brings together Israeli students who live and study in Beer-Sheva with international MAPMES students. MAP-MATE is aimed at helping MAPMES students adapt to the BGU campus and get involved in Israeli social lives on campus.

 

How does "MAP-MATE" work?

An International MAPMES Student who joins the program will be matched up with an Israeli "Mate" who will hang out with himher throughout the Fall semester. The program includes ten one-on-one meetings, one hour each. The meetings are meant to be fun and useful for both mates: the MAPMES student will get familiar with the Israeli culture, while the Israeli student will benefit from the opportunity to practice her English and find a new buddy from across the ocean.

 

The program will start at the beginning of the academic year.