The CADFA Youth Visit was just great. It was great to see
new faces and new people and get to know them and how their life is … in a
couple of days I really got to know them. It felt like we have known each other
for a long time. TBH they’re not just friends, at the end of the day they are
family and our own. And I wish to see them again soon and wish them the best of
luck.
The youth visit was an amazing opportunity that I am very happy I was involved with. Learning some Arabick, playing games, and learning about different aspects of the Palestinians' lives was incredibly interesting and enjoyable. It has made me care more and be more knowledgeable about Palestine and I definitely would love to spend more time learning about the occupation and being involved. I very much look forward to seeing the group again and visiting Palestine.
The visit was an incredible experience, that can be found nowhere else. It meant that I learned questions I had about Palestine that can only be found first hand. I met a very lovely group of people who I will continue to stay in contact with. The main aim for the Palestinians was to take a small group of people and tell them their story and then for them to pass it on. It's such an effective methos as the media coverage on Palestine is next to none. The task has to fall into the hands of groups like CADFA to ensure that their story can be spread and their cause helped.
In this project I went on a residential with the Palestinians to Norfok and did various activities in London like going on a tourist day and doing drama. I really enjoyed taking part in the project, especially going to the beach and playing games with th e other kids.I learned a lot about the situation in Palestine and how the occupation has impacted their daily lives, but I also learned a lot about Palestinian culture (the dancing etc).
It was interesting to see how the Palestinians reacted to the UK (I remember the kids found th word 'supermarket' funny).The experience was much more fun and enjoyable than I thought it would be and I liked having a bond with the Palestinian children.
I first met the Palestinians in St Albans on our way to Norfok. It had been a long journey and everyone was very tired but as the coach journey went on, we began to build friendships wiith one another and learn everyone's names (which was challenging!) - something I will never forget is sharing a room with eight girls with only one plug - but we managed somehow. Although there was an age difference between myself and the kids, I found myself treating them all as my younger brothers and sisters. 
The residential was a great experience spent in a lovely place! An experience never to forget is swimming and playing games with each other on the beach. The project environment for people visiting a new 'world.' I learned so much over the week I spent with the Palestinians. The week spent with them taught me how fortunate I am and the wide contrist in my normality compared to their normality. Hearing their stories touched me, hearing about horrifying events from children who I have formed such a strong friendship with is overwhelming.
The youth visit was organised thoroughly, we did not have many issues, they were all minor and the leaders managed them with the help of the kids. I really liked how everyone got along together like a family. One of the girls had an accident where she dislocated her knee, and with the help of everyone we were able to give her the right first aid and support until the ambulance arrived. This was a scary experience but everyone managed well, this shows the strong connection of the group.
I didn't expect it to be like this I enjoyed it more than I thought. I whave learned a lot from the youth visit and would love to do more work with CADFA as they help us understand the Palestinian struggle and help Palestinians tell their stories.
Some of the Palestinians were very good at speaking English and I didn't struggle with translation as much as I thought I would. Showing them around Camden on the day of the performance was odd because I'd seen the area so many times , however they were very interested in the stalls. I am looking forward to the next visit and the possible trip to Palestine.
