It’s 25 degrees outside and the sky is wonderfully clear; spring time in the Peace Wadi is fresh and beautiful. The main project building is covered in flowers and the surrounding farmland is full of date palms. When the skies are clear, you can see the mountains on either side of the valley and at night the lights from Jericho, just across the border, shine in the distance.

I arrived here two days ago and what makes this place so wonderful, to me, is the constant stream of visitors, from both near and afar. I arrived on a Friday and was immediately welcomed by friends of the family, who were barbecuing, and offered more tabbouleh and stuffed vine leaves than I would ever be able to eat in one sitting. Children played in the pool as the adults took turns playing the oud and singing to clapping onlookers.

Yesterday we were visited by the society of village elders who originally come from Burqa. The men, some of whom had known each other since kindergarten, played backgammon and laughed over lamb stew, which I was invited to sit and share with them.

My first two days at Peace Wadi have been full of people coming together, laughing, sharing food, and celebrating life.

Klara (from England)