I've been a teacher of English at UNRWA schools for Palestinian refugees since 2007. I've been volunteering in the Hands Up Project since 2016.I found it a wonderful brilliant idea to travel with children via zoom to other countries to chat with their partners around the world and dive deeply in other cultures.I'm currently responsible for our work South Gaza .
Read MoreI am a technical writer and a freelance coordinator with a passion for creativity, learning, and community engagement. In 2024, alongside two colleagues, I coordinated a children’s mental health advocacy campaign with Ibdaa Cultural Center in Dheisha Refugee Camp, Bethlehem. Our work focused on trauma awareness and support initiatives, particularly during the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which continues to take a profound mental and emotional toll on all Palestinians. I have also gained experience as a technical proposal writer and editor, conducting research and developing content to support various projects. I am always eager to explore new ways to use storytelling, writing, and advocacy to spark meaningful impact and drive change, as I deeply believe in the power of literature, the importance of our narrative as Palestinians, and my unwavering commitment to my people. I am passionate about poetry and writing as a means of giving a voice to the voiceless; to those who were unjustly silenced and denied thechance to be with us because of the occupation.
Read MoreI am an experienced educator who’s passionate about creating impactful learning opportunities for children. As a volunteer English Language Teacher with the Hands Up Project, I participated in the team-teaching initiative, delivering online lessons to Palestinian students and collaborating with volunteers worldwide. I also facilitated link- up sessions between my students and volunteers’ students from other countries, witnessing firsthand how these connections boost confidence and language skills. Now, as the recently joined Volunteer Coordinator, I look forward to supporting the Hands Up Project’s mission by coordinating sessions, managing volunteers, and fostering meaningful intercultural exchanges.
Read MoreHaya Orouq is an Administrative Assistant and Social Media Manager at The Hands Up Project. Originally from Palestine and currently based in Cairo, she has been connected to HUP since her early years as a participant. Having experienced firsthand the impact of the project, she is passionate about creating meaningful educational opportunities for Palestinian children.
Haya is currently studying Business Administration and has a strong background in UI/UX design, content creation, and digital communication. She brings excellent organizational skills, creativity, and leadership experience to her role, ensuring smooth operations and engaging social media outreach.
With a deep commitment to HUP’s mission, Haya is dedicated to empowering young learners and sharing their voices with the world.
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.
Read MoreI’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.
Read More
