There are honestly so many moments in which I have realized how incredibly privileged I am to be an American Duke student. A great privilege I have is being apart of the Duke Engage program in general. Today, I spoke to my supervisor about the Duke Engage program and how our trip is fully funded. He was shocked to hear the cost of our apartment and amount we received as a stipend. Unemployment among youth is one of Jordan’s greatest issues. Therefore, most Jordanians our age do not have access to the amount of money we have and still rely on their parents for support. I recognize how lucky I am to receive enough money to live in Jordan without much stress. Still, I can’t help but feel guilty sometimes for being able to live so comfortably while the people we work with struggle to afford basic necessities. When I go on site to visit the refugee camps, sometimes I try to bring little gifts for the kids. Personally, I’d rather spend money on the communities we are working with than on myself. The most amazing part is how the smallest gesture a difference. I bought 2 packs of chalk for 2 Jordanian Dinar for the kids to play with and they were so incredibly grateful. The simplest actions that make no impact on our lives mean so much to the communities we are working with.

Outside of work, it is interesting to compare how locals are treated compared to us. One memory that comes to mind is the bus ride back from PeaceWadi. We were pulled over by police officers who asked to see our papers. However, once the officer found out we were American, he let us go without actually seeing our documents. It’s incredible how our status as Americans alter how we are treated in public. I’ve noticed that stores will also give us free pastries or extra food once they hear our broken Arabic and find out we are American. I feel like I’ve experienced Jordan hospitality to the fullest extent.