I keep thinking back about the day when I realized that there was another world apart from mine which encouraged me to take the ‘STEPS of Change’ for the disadvantaged ones in conflict zones.
I was only 6 when the Syrian War started in 2011. One day, when I was changing channels on TV to find the channel that my favorite cartoon was supposed to start at, I realized that news channels were full of dreadful images from the Syrian border which was next to my hometown, Hatay. In one of the channels, I have seen Syrian people begging the Turkish officers to enter the country and Syrian children at my age, desperately trying to climb over the fences. At that moment, I wondered what made me so privileged that I was at my house whining to my parents that I didn’t want to have dinner on that day because I wanted to watch my favorite cartoon instead while the other children across the border didn’t even know if they still had parents to complain.
After turning off the television, I started to think of the ways that I could help as I felt obligated to help them with the opportunities that I have. Unfortunately, at the time, neither I was old enough to volunteer in the field nor I had money to donate. I thought that it would be a nice idea if there was a platform that connects young volunteers with the disadvantaged students in conflict zones in an easier way for both of them.
After 10 years, I came to EMIS, an international school for peace and sustainability in the Middle East, in order to take an active role in resolving the conflict and I took an initiative to create this platform to connect underage volunteers from all around the world to the disadvantaged people in conflict zones.The programme is called STEPS of Change. Although STEPS of Change is for everyone, the initials of STEPS stand for Social service for Teaching English to Palestinian Students as a references to the first “step”.
I, my international friends from EMIS, and other volunteers from Jerusalem American School are making a positive change in the lives of students in conflict zones by teaching them English so that they can have more opportunities. In our groups, two international volunteers, for example a Brazilian and an Indian or an Italian and Albanian, teach together to a group of 10-15 students from all around the West Bank. In addition, we have volunteer groups consisted of a Palestinian and an Israeli volunteer teaching English together to students who want to take part in the peace initiative of the program ! Since the STEPS of Change should be taken for a better future for all as well as helping each other now, we aim to present an example on how youth can collaborate together to help each other although we might come from different backgrounds.
We are also distributing 1000 flyers all over the West Bank and in Nazareth to inform more students about this opportunity ! There is more information on our website and our instagram account for both high school students who want to volunteer and for students from conflict zones who would like to enroll in the program.
Instagram: @steps_of_change | Website: https://www.stepsofchange.social/about-us
Ada Tuana Dönmez, Türkiye, 17, EMIS student
Founder of STEPS of Change