How to Support Palestinians Beyond Emergency Relief: Mentorship and Long-Term Opportunity
Many people reach out with the same question: “How can I help Palestinians, especially Gazans, in a way that truly matters?”
Emergency relief is essential. It saves lives and meets urgent needs. At the same time, many supporters want to contribute to something that lasts, something that helps people rebuild stability, agency, and a future.
Wasla Connect is a mentorship and professional development program that supports displaced Palestinian talent through long-term opportunity building. Our work is grounded in three pillars: (1) mentorship and trusted guidance, (2) practical career readiness, and (3) community and access to networks. We deliver this through three ways people can join: Mentors support participants through structured 1:1 sessions, Trainers run practical workshops or office hours on specific skills, and Volunteers strengthen the program behind the scenes through coordination, resources, communications, and community support.
What “help beyond relief” looks like
When people think of support, they often imagine donations or shipments of aid. Those matter. But long-term opportunity is built differently. It is built through the kinds of support many professionals take for granted:
Guidance from someone who has walked the path
Access to networks, not just information
Practical feedback that strengthens real work products
Structured accountability that keeps momentum alive
A community that says: you belong here
This kind of support does not replace humanitarian relief. It complements it by helping people move from survival toward stability.
Why mentorship is powerful in this context
In forced displacement and conflict settings, talent does not disappear. What disappears is access:
Access to mentors and role models
Access to clear career pathways
Access to professional norms and expectations
Access to referrals, hiring signals, and real opportunities
Mentorship bridges that gap. Not by promising miracles, but by making progress possible, step by step.
Three meaningful ways to support long-term opportunity
1) Become a mentor
Mentorship is one of the highest-impact contributions a professional can make because it transfers something rare: clarity, confidence, and practical direction.
Mentors typically support with:
Career direction and realistic goal setting
CV and LinkedIn refinement
Portfolio building and project feedback
Mock interviews and communication practice
Job search strategy and accountability
Thoughtful introductions when appropriate
You do not need to have a perfect plan or unlimited time. Reliability matters more than intensity. Showing up consistently can change someone’s trajectory.
2) Join as a trainer
Some people prefer to contribute through focused sessions instead of ongoing 1:1 mentoring. Trainers help by delivering workshops or office hours on a specific skill.
Examples of high-value training topics:
Portfolio storytelling: how to present projects with impact
Interview preparation and common question patterns
Data analytics: case studies, dashboards, and business framing
Software engineering practices: Git workflows, testing, code review
Product thinking: user stories, requirements, prioritization
Career skills: networking, outreach, and professional communication
A single strong session can unlock weeks of progress, especially when it is practical and template-based.
3) Volunteer behind the scenes
Mentorship programs only work when the operations are strong. Volunteers make the program smoother, safer, and more consistent.
Volunteer roles can include:
Supporting mentor onboarding and communications
Helping with matching coordination and follow-up
Building resources, templates, and toolkits
Supporting events, community activities, or content
Assisting with impact tracking and storytelling, with dignity and consent
If you are someone who loves systems, coordination, and execution, volunteering is one of the most valuable ways to contribute.
The kind of help we try to avoid
Not all help helps. We try to protect participants and protect the integrity of the work by avoiding:
Sharing or collecting sensitive personal details
Pressure, guilt, or unrealistic promises
Storytelling that centers suffering instead of agency
One-off support that feels exciting but cannot be sustained
We believe in dignity, consent, and long-term partnership.
A simple way to start
If you are reading this and wondering where you fit, here is a simple guide:
If you can commit to consistent sessions: become a mentor
If you prefer a focused contribution: join as a trainer
If you want to strengthen the program engine: volunteer with us
Long-term opportunity is built by people who show up with respect, consistency, and practical support.
Call to action
Wasla Connect builds long-term opportunity for displaced Palestinians through three pillars: mentorship, career readiness, and community access. You can support this by joining as a mentor, a trainer, or a volunteer.
