Andria’s Journey to Jordan

The following is a guest post from AUA Mosaic Scholarship recipient Andria Enns. Andria will be volunteering with United Planet in Jordan. To find an amazing opportunity like this one, search the AUA Directory of Recommended Organizations© today!

You could say my journey to Jordan started when I was seven years old, as a Girl Scout Brownie. Each troop in the district represented a different nation at the Southern California international fair, and my troop chose Jordan. After that fair, I knew I wanted to visit Jordan someday.

Andi representing Jordan at age 7

Flash-forward fourteen years to a small Middle Eastern café in Kansas City, Missouri, where I’m a college student. Fruity Egyptian hookah smoke curled in the air and soft Arabic music played overhead. I thought this café would be the perfect place to tell my friend I was planning a trip to Amman.

You could almost hear the record scratch as she did a double-take.

“But… why?” she said.

It was a question I’ve been getting over and over as I’ve planned my trip over the last six months. People hear “Middle East” or “Muslim world” and think “war,” “terrorism,” and “danger.” It’s easy to think that if you only see war coverage on television.

I’m going because I believe peace starts with us – with me. Not only because I’ll serve as an unofficial ambassador while in Jordan; but also because of the knowledge and compassion I will bring home.

Only once cultural fear is abolished, can we begin to celebrate our diverse traditions as a global community.

It would be a lie to say that I’m not anxious at all – after all, it’s a new culture that I’ve never experienced before. I know the local customs will take getting used to. But even more than that, I’m excited. I can’t wait to meet my Jordanian host family and learn about communal eating with them (I’ve always liked eating with my hands, anyway!). I’m looking forward to becoming part of a workplace community at Friends of the Global Fund (a public health nonprofit) and making a real difference. I’m excited to visit the local hang-outs and make new friends.

I’m sure some days will be hard – some days I’ll be homesick for my mom, my siblings, my boyfriend and my classmates. But I’m sure that even more than that, I’ll be homesick for Jordan when I come back.

About Andi:

Andi Enns is a student in the Degree with Honors Program at Park University, studying journalism and public relations. She will be on a service trip to Amman, Jordan for three weeks over winter break, working with a public health organization and staying with a local family. 

The Spirit of Hope in Nablus

The following is a guest blog from AUA Mosaic Scholarship recipient Lindsay Michael. She is currently volunteering with Project Hope in the Palestinian Territories. To find an opportunity like this one, search the AUA Directory of Recommended Organizations©.

Every Saturday to Wednesday, I am accompanied by local volunteers to each of my five classes.  We willingly spend a great deal of time outside of our teaching hours dispelling stereotypes on both sides and brainstorming ways to convey our newfound awareness to the respective communities about which we care so deeply.

The first day I met Saja, I was standing near a huge jasmine bush watching the neighborhood boys play a game similar to “Cowboys and Indians” called “Soldiers and Civilians.”  She walked up to me stiffly with her arm stretched out.  Clearly, the aberrant practice of greeting someone of the same sex, with anything other than kisses, is used solely to accommodate the international volunteers from the U.S.

I reached out my hand to shake hers and asked, “Saja?”

She nodded and said, “Yes, and you’re Lindsay from America, right?  Hmmm.  Wow, that’s funny  You don’t look American…well, maybe South American.”

I stepped back giving myself a once-over and said, “And you?  You’re from Nablus, but you don’t look Palestinian.  Are you sure you’re not Irish with your red eyebrows and freckles?”

She explained to me that she had three sisters, all with different shades of hair and skin tones.  “My oldest sister also has red hair and is even whiter than me.  Both of my younger sisters have brown skin.  One has blonde hair, and the other is a brunette.  In Arabic, we say my mother has a garden with many different flowers.”

We laughed on the way to class and discussed common misconceptions people have of us, and the frustration and hurt we occasionally experience due to the careless use of stereotypes.  What does an American look like?  How does a Palestinian look?  In all honesty, it would be quite an impossible task to answer these questions, but I am confident knowing that by the time I return home, both Saja and I will be able to describe how it feels, for at least some people, to be American or Palestinian.

My Arabic classes remind me of what it feels like to be a student again and how challenging learning a new language can be.  The slightest variation in pronunciation can cause an outburst of laughter, or in less desirable situations, you end up finding yourself offering a slew of alternate examples, in an attempt to clarify yourself.   It can be a humbling experience, either way.  One such conversation I had with the father of a student over dinner went as follows:

With better English than my Arabic and typical Palestinian hospitality, Abu Mazin greeted me warmly,  “Welcomes in Palestine.  Where from you?”

I enthusiastically replied, “ I’m from the U.S.” as I tore off a toasted edge of homemade bread and submerged it in the fresh olive oil and onto the plate of Za’tar (dried thyme, salt, sumac, and sesame seeds).

I popped the simple deliciousness into my mouth, and Abu Mazin very matter-of-factly responded, “So you are terrorist from Ahmreeka?”

Choking from shock inhalation at his response, I sputtered out, “No, no.  Terrorist?  No, I’m not an American terrorist.  I’m just a teacher.”

He looked confused and said, “But you say from Ahmreeka and you like teach, No?”

Unsure of how to contest and in a complete state of mass confusion, I scanned the indifferent faces of family members.  I’ve always been under the impression that education was held in high esteem among Palestinians.  Does this man who has welcomed me into his home think I’m a terrorist, because I’m a teacher – or is it because I’m American?

I’m sure it was only a matter of seconds, but it felt like hours before my student took over the rapidly dissolving introduction between Abu Mazin and me.  My student spoke in Arabic to his father and turned to me with a look one might have, had they unearthed the secrets of the universe.  Through  uncontrolled giggles he  said, “Excuse my father.  He has strong accent.  My father ask if you are tourist from America.”

The room erupted in merriment at the expense of my misunderstanding.  He put his hand on my shoulder and with a gentle smile said, “Don’t care about it, Lindsay.  You’re clearly not terrorist or tourist.  You are Palestinian today and for as long as you are here!”

I knew at that moment, this would be a memory retold countless times by whomever felt the need for a good laugh.

International Volunteerism: A Word from AUA Director Ben Orbach

While 62.8 million Americans volunteered for an hour or more in 2010, a small fraction of that volunteered internationally. On the occasion of international volunteer day, America’s Unofficial Ambassadors Director Ben Orbach offers three pieces of advice to those who will volunteer abroad in 2012:

1)      Think about your experience in a global context – You represent more than yourself. Think about your hometown, your university or school, your family, and your country, even if you are disinterested in American politics or disagree with US foreign policy. From the first custom official you meet to the bus driver who takes you to the airport to return home, you are now an unofficial ambassador – a great opportunity and a great responsibility and (Don’t be a jerk). You’ll meet people who have never met Americans before. Take it seriously and think about what type of ambassador you want to be.

2)      Think about your experience from a personal perspective – You’ve made a significant life choice that involves time and money, as well as opportunity and loss.

What do you want to achieve?

What are your goals?

How can this experience advance you professionally?

What will it take to make you happy?

Before you go, write down answers to some of these questions in a journal or send yourself an email. Give yourself a reference point to return to along your journey or when you come home. Sometimes things get confusing when you are outside your comfort zone. Even if your interests change over the course of your experience, you won’t regret being able to trace your way back to your starting point.

3)      Stay in touch – At a minimum, let your family and friends know you are ok. Aside from those basics, though, the more you share your experience as it happens with the people who count to you, the easier your re-entry will be when you return. There will be less explaining to do if your friends and family have a concept of what your days are like, who you are meeting, and what it all looks like. If you are volunteering in an area of human development like women’s literacy or building wells in a specific village, and you want to recruit people to your cause, the more they know over a sustained period, the better chance that they will be interested in offering their support.

And remember, just because the road is less traveled doesn’t mean it isn’t worth taking. Volunteering internationally is a great opportunity to challenge yourself and to reach beyond your comfort zone, to forge new partnerships in a different culture and to expand your own community, and to contribute something bigger than yourself on a grander scale. Whether you are thinking about volunteering internationally in France or in a less common destination like Tajikistan, do your research on the place and the organization you’re considering, find people to speak with about your ideas, and pursue the unknown based upon educated decisions.

Celebrate International Volunteer Day with AUA

In 1985, the United Nations established December 5^th as International Volunteer Day. Since then, many individuals and organizations have observed this day to highlight the positive outcomes that are a direct result of volunteerism.

As an organization that aims to improve the relationship between America and the Muslim World through  volunteer work, America’s Unofficial Ambassadors (AUA) observes this day with hope that more private American citizens will commit to volunteering throughout the Muslim World to meet human development challenges in education, community needs, and other key areas.

AUA is a great outlet for anyone who wants to embark on a volunteer journey in a Muslim-majority country. There are many ways to get involved!

AUA DIRECTORY OF RECOMMENDED ORGANIZATIONS ©: The premier resource for finding short-term volunteer opportunities in the Muslim World

MOSAIC SCHOLARSHIP: A program that provides scholarships to support Americans volunteering with an AUA Directory-listed organization in a Muslim-majority country

BUILDING PEACE BY BUILDING HOMES: A delegation of peace building volunteers who build homes with families in Muslim-majority countries

SCHOOL-2-SCHOOL: A cultural exchange and educational development program that enables schools in the United States to partner with elementary schools in countries emerging from conflict or facing the challenges of poverty

AUA NETWORK: A community of past, current and future volunteers who are interested in building people-to-people partnerships between America and the Muslim World

Volunteerism is a powerful tool that can be used in all cultures. A simple act of kindness and generosity can work wonders to change the most negative view of a person or culture. It’s a winning situation on all counts: a community is helped, a stereotype is shattered, friends are made and most importantly, lives are changed.