Volunteer Information

Tent of Nations Volunteer Information

You are very welcome to come and volunteer at Tent of Nations – we are always happy to have visitors staying at the farm. You can read more about the Tent of Nations project and the background to our situation on the rest of this website.

If you are thinking of being a volunteer, then here’s some of what you can expect…

Farm:

Tent of Nations is a family run farm, growing Olives, Vines, Almonds, various vegetables & fruit. In total there is around 100 acres of land although not all of this is cultivated, and there is also a small poly-tunnel. We have a small herd of goats, a horse, a donkey, pigeons, chickens, rabbits and dogs. We are in the process of re-cultivating the farm and for this reason, and also because of the economic situation in the West Bank, are not yet at the point of producing enough crops to make profits from the farm commercially.

Community:

There’s a fun communal atmosphere at the project with everyone working together and getting to know each other. There’s often a real mix of nationalities among the volunteers and regular visits from other groups who come for day visits, or to just stay a couple of nights. Meals are provided and everyone at the farm eats together each day. There are normally at least 3-4 volunteers for most of the year, but there could be more. You will find that the most common languages spoken are Arabic, English and German.

Vision:

We believe in bringing people of all cultures and nations together and building bridges of peace through dialogue, understanding and friendship. We try to give an example through our work of what it is possible to achieve. As well as running the farm, we also run a number of other projects.

Work:

We ask that you commit to working at least five days a week, for about 8 hours a day. You are then free to take time off to travel around the local area and visit the many tourist spots in this historic land.

The daily routine at the project is to get up around 7am to feed the animals, before eating breakfast with the rest of the volunteers. Most of the day is then spent working on the farm – planting trees & vegetables, watering & weeding, harvesting crops, maintenance, building projects etc. with breaks for drinking tea, eating lunch, and finishing around 4-5pm. You’re free to do what you wish in the evenings – often after dinner people sit talking & sharing stories (around a fire if it’s cold!), or if you are musical we have a guitar and you can entertain us!

Accommodation:

You will be staying in a large well equipped marquee tent if it is warm (with paved floors & beds with mattresses). The infrastructure at the farm is very simple as we are not allowed to be connected with running water or mains electricity. We do have flush toilets and also solar heated showers on sunny days, but all our water is collected from rainfall so we have to be careful to not use much. We do also have limited electricity, and you can access our wireless internet if you want.

You will need to bring strong shoes, a torch light, working clothes (plus gloves are useful) and a sleeping bag.

We normally accept volunteers between March and October, although it is sometimes also possible to volunteer with us during the winter. The weather in winter is normally cold, so please bring warm clothes, gloves, a hat (it might be windy) and a rain jacket.

Costs:

For a number of years the Nassar family have welcomed visitors to come to the farm to enjoy Palestinian hospitality, to experience life on the farm, and to learn about their situation. The family do not operate this as a business, and do not seek to profit from volunteers visiting. However, the reality at the moment is that they would not be able to continue receiving volunteers without donations to meet the costs.

We therefore really welcome donations towards the cost of food and amenities for volunteers, as this is essential in order to help the project to be sustainable. Because of the unique situation in the West Bank, basic necessities like water, electricity, fuel, and food are all very expensive. To cover our costs in providing food, electricity & facilities to volunteers we recommend a donation of $70-$100 per week for short visits depending on what you can afford. If you are planning on volunteering longer term then we realise you may be on a limited budget and not be able to afford to donate as much. You don’t have to make a donation, but at the moment it is the only thing that makes the project sustainable.

We realise that you are already offering us your time and skills and we would love to be able to offer hospitality for free, but the reality of our situation means that this is really very difficult. We hope this doesn’t put you off from visiting – please talk to us about it if so. We really want you to feel welcome to visit our farm, learn about our situation, see what we are doing, and hopefully become good friends. The bottom line is that the friendship, support and enthusiasm of volunteers is far more important to us than any amount of money.

Travelling to Tent of Nations:

You can fly to Tel Aviv in Israel, or to Amman in Jordan, and then travel overland to our farm. You can find detailed directions to Tent of Nations and a map here

As you would expect we cannot cover your travel expenses or insurance costs. You should be aware that some insurance companies exclude the West Bank from their cover, so you may want to ask them about this.

In order to get to the Tent of Nations you will have to pass through Israeli border controls and get an Israeli visa at the border. This will allow you to travel in both Israel and the West Bank. For many nationalities you will be able to get a free Israeli tourist visa when you arrive at the border which will last for 3 months. You need to have a passport which is valid for 6 months. For more information please see http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Tourist+Information/Planning+your+trip/Visa.htm#tourist visas

If you wish. it is possible to request not to have an Israeli stamp in your passport. In such cases, you must fill out form 17L including your personal details, and that form shall be stamped by passport control upon entry/exit.

It is safe to visit the Tent of Nations. However, as you should be aware, the Palestinian West Bank is occupied by Israel, who control the area with their soldiers & other forces. You may want to get advice about visiting and should keep informed about the situation before your visit. If you have any concerns or questions then please do email or call us.

You can also find advice about travelling at http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/israel-occupied