I remember feeling alarmed the first time that I drove into the West Bank through the Qalandia Checkpoint, which is the shortest route and biggest entry and exit point between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Just after the checkpoint is a very chaotic place, busy with traffic, vendors and people trying to get to where they need to go. The road was very bumpy and had giant potholes and speed bumps everywhere. I remember looking to my left toward the wall and watchtower that looms over the checkpoint and saw a small fire ablaze at the foot of it. I asked my friend what the fire was and if there was a protest or something that was going on, and she simply replied, “It’s trash.” I thought that it was so strange that someone would just start a fire to burn trash and leave it unattended, but little did I know that this was a common occurrence and practice throughout the West Bank.
The community need that is prevalent here is trash collection and waste disposal.
