Rhodé (Netherlands)

My name is Rhodé, I am 17 years old and I would like to tell you about my experiences on the vineyard. I’ve known about the Tent of Nations since I was a child. My father, my brother, my sister and my mother have all been there. They didn’t go together, but they all experienced what it’s like at the Tent of Nations. That helped me when I was deciding whether I wanted to go or not. My parents had already planned to go, and since it would be my last vacation with them, I wanted to go. So it wasn’t a difficult decision for me. In the last week before we left, I was terrified of going there. To be honest, I was looking forward to it, but I had to go. I wanted to help the people who needed help.
When we got to the airport, I was terrified of the security checks and didn’t eat any breakfast because I was so nervous. When we got through security, I was very relieved. Afterwards, I realized that I was just afraid of messing up the story we had made up for them and that my parents wouldn’t be able to come with us because of me. But that didn’t happen. I learned a lot about the situation in Palestine and Gaza on the farm. Also a lot about the history of this war and what happened after it started. It really made me think about my life and about the world. So this trip really brought me a lot.
A few things happened during my time on the farm: The Israelis started building an outpost right by the fence of the Tent of Nations and put up floodlights to monitor it. These things scared me, but not for myself. I was afraid for my family and for other Palestinians who live in fear and oppression. Surprisingly, I felt very safe on the farm while these things were happening because I knew they were not meant to hurt me or scare me. My father always says: Palestine is dangerous for the Palestinians.
The tasks we did were good. Together with another volunteer, I was responsible for the animals and the dog. We had to feed them twice a day, which took up most of our time. We also had to water the plants and paint some benches and tables. The other volunteers I was with were very nice and really caring. For example, if I wasn’t feeling well, someone else would feed the animals and walk the dog so I could lie down. And if someone else wasn’t feeling well, I did the same for them. I also just had a great time with all the volunteers and we talked and laughed a lot.
As for the family, they are the warmest family I have ever met in my life. They take care of your health and help you if you don’t understand something. They make sure you get enough and good food, and they are just so much fun to talk to. They are so special and I am so happy to have met them. To sum up, I have had a great and inspiring experience here at ToN, and I hope that many other people will have the same experience. I definitely want to come back to help even more, maybe even for longer. But for now, I’m just glad I didn’t let my fear stop me from coming here.