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Palestinian students care for animals through volunteer club


RAMALLAH, Palestine

Every year, International Cat Day is celebrated on Aug. 8 to promote the needs and wants of cats, which were once worshipped as gods in Egypt.

Among the oldest known pets, cats are one of the most intriguing creatures on earth. They are inquisitive, adventurous, independent and have their own unique physiognomy.

While playing with her cat, Marah Sharif, 27, spoke to Anadolu Agency about her experience as a volunteer in a club at Birzeit University in the occupied West Bank in Palestine which was founded by a group of students caring for animals in the campus.

The club was later expanded to include people from all regions of the West Bank who have pets so they could share their experiences and support.

Since her childhood, Sharif’s family has been caring for cats, instilling in her and her siblings the value of such an endeavor.

“I’m caring for two cats at my house. They are family members, and I have never made any decision before thinking of them, what is best for them,” she said.

Marah is the media coordinator of the club at Birzeit University. She works voluntarily with the community of the university, which does their best for the animals both inside and outside the campus.

“We have a team of specialists who share their experiences — medically, socially and logistics. We have routine meetings at the university and online to distribute functions between us,” she added.

The students have a special relationship with the animals on the campus and treat them as main members of the community of the university with special names and methods of care. They fund the club through their donations and are highly organized, obtaining medications and keeping in touch with veterinarians in any emergencies. According to its members, the club was founded five years ago and is still growing, and the volunteers keep in touch even after they graduate.

“Now the group on Facebook is a community for thousands of people who have animals in their life, from every single place in the West Bank, and this led to enhancing the awareness of the importance of caring for animals,” Sharif said.

The club does not agree with the selling of animals and makes serious efforts to encourage the principle of animal adoption as a high humane value.

“We must intensify our energy to provide a beautiful life for these creatures. The planet is not only for humans but is also for animals and plants, and every being is entitled to live their life and not be harmed,” Sharif said.

She highlighted that she had many deep feelings with her animals and discovered how they deeply interacted with her on her sad and happy days.

“Cats’ intelligence and sensitivity are amazing, and I hope to establish a shelter to give all of them the best care,” she added.

Shatha Affaneh, another volunteer in the club, told Anadolu Agency that things haven’t always been easy, particularly when some animal haters reacted negatively and cynically to their efforts.

“We put in hard efforts to change these reactions. I am trying to contribute to the safety and protection of animals,” she said.

The club improved the awareness towards animals among the Birzeit University community, but, according to the team, there is a big challenge in the outside community, where many locals are launching campaigns to combat the street dogs, as they receive no care from the concerned authorities.



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