Balata Refugee Camp (Mokhayim Balata)

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Balata Refugee Camp, near Nablus

The camp is one square kilometer in size and is rented out to the UNRWA for one hundred years to house a refugee camp. Residents come mostly from Yafa (near Tel Aviv). They own only their homes, not the land and thus are unable to expand as their families grow. Aside from a few main streets, most streets are no more than a meter wide and the pavement is breaking apart in most areas. Children play in the streets, as there are no parks or green areas in the camp. There are no large open indoors spaces either, because of the lack of space.

We were lucky enough to visit this camp, because my friend Arwa knew a family there, so four of us made the trek. Coming from Bethlehem, we bussed it into Jerusalem on the 21, to catch the 18 to Ramallah, where we then grabbed a service (shared van-taxi) to Hawara Checkpoint--inside the West Bank, not on the "border" (the checkpoint is outside of Nablus, and Balata) where very few vehicles are allowed through. I believe only ambulances have clearance. The checkpoints have changes since last year and now people are only "checked" one-way, meaning on the wait in to Balata we just walked across, while on the return trip we would have to wait in the long line and pass through the security station manned by the usual young Israeli soldiers with their M-16s. Passing across this checkpoint, we met Arwa's friend, Ali, and hailed a taxi to take us to the refugee camp.

I feel that my faith in youth centers was renewed greatly by a visit to the Yafa Youth Center (www.yafacult.org) located at one edge of the camp, near the UNRWA headquarters building. Speaking with the director, Mahmoud, we learned about original videos produced by the youth, including two that had won in the Boston and Chicago film festivals, "Noor's Dream" and "Memory of the Nakba". Mahmoud told us about the music programs and the two young brothers who had been saving their pennies (well, their shekels) to buy a relatively expensive toy gun. After a few months in the program learning violin, they told him they had changed their mind and were now saving money for a violin. A visiting couple from Iceland overheard, and offered to buy the boys a violin. Mahmoud said with a chuckle, "Their parents now beg me to take back the violin, because they can't sleep with the constant squeeking of the beginner violinists". I think my sister can sympathize.

Mahmoud told us about the trip they'd been able to organize (after months of jumping through hoops and an enormous amount of support from international NGOs) to take 20 youth to Spain for a week. The young people performed traditional dance and plays at various venues in Spain and visited cities and sites. For most, it was the first time they'd left the camp's area. At the briefing before the trip when the kids met with the Spanish group hosting them, one ten year old boy raised his hand and asked if he could ask a question. They nodded, "Of course!" He asked "Is Spain before the checkpoint or after?" He'd never been beyond the checkpoint I'd passed through just hours before.

Mahmoud stressed how important trips like these were for the youth of Balata. For the youngest children, simply having a happy and fun experience helped motivate them in school. Before leaving for Spain, the older youth had spent hours at the donated computers, searching on google earth to learn all about Spain. The chance to visit Europe had opened their eyes to the world beyond their reality. The possibly it participating in future trips motivated many of their friends to study hard as only the top students are chosen to go.

As Mahmoud was finishing the story, a little girl walked in, about ten years old and cute enough for all of us to let go audible sighs of "aww, how cute!" Arwa asked "Did you go on the trip to Spain?" Mahmoud's eyes became sad. He told us how she had been with the group, and everyone had gotten past the Hawara Checkpoint, however when the reached the next checkpoint, into Israel, the security officers had determined that because the girls' mother was originally from Gaza, she could not be allowed to cross. She was the only one turned back. "It broke our hearts" he said.

Rami, who looked to be around 23 years old, and who had been working editing some video projects the whole time we'd been speaking with Mahmoud spoke up. He told us how he'd been responsible for holding all of the youth's passports on the trip, so none of them got lost. After their first day in Spain, the youth had approached him and demanded their passports. "We want to throw them into the sea, so we never have to go back", they told him. "Please call our families and tell them sorry, but we want to stay here." Rami then laughed and said, "By the end of the trip though they were all homesick and missed their parents and brothers and sisters".

It's so uplifting to know that there are people out there who work to provide opportunities for these young people growing up in a world in which there is very little hope.