Life on the Farm

I haven’t had a shower in 6 days.

Surprisingly, I’m handling it ok. I’ve been staying at the Tent of Nations for the last week, volunteering at a summer camp for Palestinian children living in Bethlehem. The kids come in for the first half of the day and do different activities such as art, drama, music, and dance, then go back home. I’m living on the farm for the two weeks of camp, along with about 20 other international volunteers. This allows us to bond with each other, as well as plan for the next day’s activities the night before…however, it has come with some unique challenges as well, such as the severe lack of running water.

Now, let me clarify – the farm definitely does have running water…however, it is in very short supply. The farm, which is about 100 acres, is surrounded by newly built Israeli settlements. It used to be an entirely Palestinian-owned area, with various small, family farms all over. But, over the years, people have been pushed off and their land taken over by the State of Israel. This farm and a small town next to it called Nahalin are the only Palestinian areas still existing here, alone in a sea of Settlements.

The Israeli government does not want this farm to exist, though. They have done all they can to get the family who owns it to move. From taking them to court, to blocking the road that leads to the farm so no cars can come in, to giving them demolition orders for all buildings on the property. And yet, the Nassar family who owns it continues on: filing the necessary paperwork, paying continual permit fees, navigating the bureaucratic maze to try and keep the land that has been in their family for ages.

Part of this constant struggle to exist in a place where the ruling government does not want you to exist at means limited resources. They have been cut off from all electricity sources, as well as from the water supply. They have even been given orders that it is illegal for them to collect water that comes down from the sky! However, this is one that they do not abide by. They run the farm with solar power, and collect water in cisterns during the rainy season. This water then has to be enough to last them for the entire year.

Therefore, they have had to come up with some creative strategies to keep the place running. They have compost toilets, where you throw a handful of dead leaves in after using the bathroom, and the waste is turned into compost to be used as fertilizer. Volunteers are asked to only shower once a week, and to keep the duration of that shower down to a single minute (the water will cut off if you try and stay in there longer). Olive trees are watered on a weekly basis (but they have so many that watering occurs daily, just on a rotation), by digging a small hole in the soil, pouring a set amount of water in, letting it soak down, and then covering the hole back up.

Everything on the farm is recycled, scrap food is fed to the animals, and they reuse the grey water (ie. water that has been used once in the shower, washing dishes, etc) for agricultural purposes as well.

It is a very different way of living. I brought a pack of baby wipes with me and have rationed them out to six a day. Which, might seem like a lot…but when you’re living on a farm, in the desert, running around with kids, you’d be surprised how much dirt needs to be wiped away. I am actually planning on going back to my apartment today so that I will be able to take a shower and get really clean before the second week begins.

Another interesting aspect of this camp that the volunteers come from all over. Just out of the ones here for these two weeks, we have people from: Spain, France, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Palestine, Denmark, UK, Italy, and USA. It’s the first time I’ve ever been around so many different people from all over the world. On any given night at dinner, you’ll hear three or four different languages being spoken all around you. We teach the kids a new song every morning, and have been alternating languages. So far they have learned a Finnish, German, French, Italian, and English song.

While our days are spent working with the children at the camp, our evenings are full of classes and field trips to nearby towns. A Psychology professor comes in to teach a class on nonviolent communication and peace building, we have a daily lesson in Arabic, and are also learning Dubka, a traditional Palestinian folk dance. It has been a very full week, with an even busier one to come, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!