Written by Brandon Bishop (Washington & Lee University), Student Correspondent for CET Jordan, Summer 2023
Why Volunteer?
Volunteering in the community is a rewarding, meaningful way to meet new people from all walks of life. I love volunteering, as it offers me a meaningful way to spend my time while improving life skills, meeting new people, and giving back to the community. I’ve met some of my best friends through volunteering and continue meeting great people from all different walks of life. Additionally, volunteering is a great way to get out of your comfort zone and gather a holistic view of the world. Along with all these great benefits, you can always end the day happy, knowing you have helped people and improved the community around you.
Where Can You Volunteer in Amman?
There are plenty of great non-profits to volunteer at in Amman, and a simple Google search yields tons of results. No matter your interests, you will surely find something suitable for you. If you are a pet person, you can volunteer at Al-Rahmeh for Animals, an animal shelter. If you want to connect with and help refugees, you can volunteer at Collateral Repair Project. There are plenty of non-profits ranging from a wide variety of causes in Amman.
Naturally, however, non-profits aiming to alleviate food insecurity are the most common. However, there is even a wide variety of non-profits with this common goal. If you wish to help alleviate food insecurity, you can volunteer at a large-scale operation such as Tkiyet Um Ali, or a smaller operation, such as Ezwitti in downtown Amman. I decided to volunteer at Ezwitti, along with a couple of my Jordanian neighbors and other classmates from CET.
My Day at Ezwitti
Ezwetti is a non-profit restaurant operating under unique premises. Customers are not required to pay but are instead asked if they want to feed or be fed. If they choose to be fed, they are given two sandwiches and a tea free of charge, no questions asked. If they choose to feed, they choose how much to pay and put a ticket on the wall for others to take and be fed. After hearing about the restaurant’s mission from one of our Jordanian neighbors, I decided that I just had to volunteer.
I decided to volunteer for six hours, from noon to 6:00 pm. The restaurant is open from 10 am to 8 pm but is busiest in the afternoon, so that’s when I chose to volunteer. After sharing an Uber with another student, we met with the head volunteer, and he gave us a rundown of our responsibilities.
Me and my friend getting briefed by the head volunteer
To start my day, I separated mint leaves from the stem for the tea. After about 30 minutes, I had separated enough to last a couple of days, so I went to the kitchen to learn how to make the sandwiches. Throughout the day, we cooked various things for the sandwiches, such as falafel, mfarakeh (potato and eggs), and even made our own hummus. I love cooking and really wanted to learn how to make more Jordanian dishes, so volunteering was a perfect opportunity to do just that.
During our downtime, I got to know the other volunteers. I learned more about what they study, where they’re from, and what their goals are. I even got to play chess with a couple of them, having fun while sharing more about us. Additionally, during downtime, I ran a couple of errands. I bought some bread from the bakery nearby, some band-aids, and a couple of snacks for us to share.
Me and a new friend playing chess
Around 4 pm, a couple of other students showed up at the restaurant and we decided to walk around downtown and hand out sandwiches to people in need. We quickly cooked up around 20 sandwiches and got to work walking around downtown with the head volunteer. He helped tell us who to give sandwiches to and even what to say when giving them. When giving sandwiches to people, we would always say “صحة وعافية” which means “health and wellness.” It is a common phrase to say before eating or when serving people food.
Me and some other volunteers while downtown, passing out sandwiches
Reflection
All-in-all, my day serving at Ezwitti was very fulfilling. I met more locals from different walks of life, learned how to cook more Jordanian dishes, and got to help the community while doing it. I wish I had decided to get involved sooner, but I definitely will be going again my last week in Jordan. If you are planning on studying in Jordan, I would highly recommend finding a great cause to support and non-profit to get involved in the community.