Raja'a Abu Jasser • Volunteer Manager and administrative coordinator
I trained as a civil engineer and then as an English language teacher, and started working with the Hands Up Project in April 2020. My job basically is all about administrating and coordinating sessions and activities held by the HUP. I also communicate with all new enquirers to Hands Up as well as the volunteers inside and outside Palestine. I’m currently setting up lots of new curriculum based online link up sessions with lots of different schools in the occupied West Bank.
My proudest moment in the HUP was making my ELTONS acceptance speech on behalf of all of our dedicated volunteer teachers in Palestine and around the world, involved in our Facebook live team taught sessions for the Palestinian English curriculum.
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Ashraf Kuhail • Gaza based coordinator
I was an English teacher in Gaza and then a supervisor for Ministry of Education schools, and became the Hands up Project’s voluntary coordinator for Ministry school link ups in 2018. In 2022 I conducted ground breaking research with large classes in Gaza, proving conclusively that intercultural link ups based around the course book have a huge impact on students enjoyment of English classes. I get such a thrill from seeing how even the shyest student who barely knows a word of English can get a huge boost in confidence from simply connecting through Zoom to someone in another country. These days I’m responsible for coordinating, training teachers and developing materials for our “Stories Alive’ project, and everything related to our on the ground work in Gaza.
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Nick Bilbrough • Events Coordinator and Materials Development
I’m a teacher, teacher trainer and author of methodology books for teachers. I started the Hands up Project in early 2015 after running a British Council training course on storytelling for teachers from Gaza. These days I’m responsible for organising everything related to events that happen outside of Palestine; our ‘Moon tell me truth’ poetry events and talks in schools, universities and conferences about our work. I’m also responsible for overseeing all of our publications, as well as developing materials which may be used in sessions. I think my proudest Hands Up Project moment was when I was able to present our first book, ‘Toothbrush’, to the children in Palestine whose plays were included there.
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