Dear Supporters, 

Happy New Year!  We hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season.  It was an amazing year for The Syria Fund – we formally launched our organization over the summer and in just 5 months we raised over $75,000 that has gone directly to support Syrian refugees in Jordan who desperately need our help.  Here are a few highlights from 2015:

We supported the construction and furnishing of a new library at our partner school in Azraq, Jordan. The library now has over 1,000 books and provides a safe place to read and learn for hundreds of children. We are ensuring long term sustainability for this and all of our projects by committing to provide regular payments for teacher salaries and other logistical aid including equipment, furnishings, and school supplies so that all of our projects are impactful for years to come. 

We purchased two tents and outfitted them to serve as classrooms for over 100 children in East Badia, Jordan who had no access to education.  Today, they’re back in school!

We expanded our education initiatives and began a partnership with the Middle East Children’s Institute (MECI), a charity that runs catch-up classes for Syrian children in existing Jordanian schools, which are unused in the afternoons. We’ve committed to helping them expand their activities by supporting teachers, creating extracurricular programs, providing school supplies for all children, and ensuring that host schools are in top condition by refurbishing any run-down or damaged classrooms.

Lastly, we continued to respond to emergency needs on the ground by purchasing and distributing supplies like warm clothing, eye glasses, gas heaters, medical equipment, toothbrushes, and more with the help of our partners at HRJ.  For example, when twenty Syrian families lost everything in heavy rains and flooding in late October, The Syria Fund provided heaters, blankets, and other essential goods to get them back on their feet.

And we are just getting started. As we grow as an organization, our projects grow, our local partner organizations grow, and the communities we support prosper.

We have some exciting initiatives ahead and as we close the books on 2015, we want to say again how appreciative we are for your continued support.  December was our biggest fundraising month yet and we look forward to continuing our efforts in 2016!

Warmly,
Lexi, Demetri & The Syria Fund Team

Dear Supporters,

It has been a hard couple of weeks for everyone. First there were the heart-breaking attacks in Beirut, Paris, and Bamako.  Then there has been the increasingly hostile rhetoric focusing people’s feelings of anger and vulnerability into blaming Syrian refugees, who in many cases have fled violence as horrific as what we’ve seen recently.

As people discuss barring refugees in this country and elsewhere, many are tempted to see the plight of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey as someone else’s problem.  But there is a direct link between the situation for refugees in Syria's surrounding countries and the thousands of people risking death and spending their life savings to board a smuggler’s boat for Europe.  That is why we are continuing our work to help the refugees living in Jordan. 

Refugees will feel less pressure to leave for Europe if we can provide basic needs, including education, food packages, and access to household and medical supplies.  If Syrians remain in the surrounding countries, it will be easier for them to return to help rebuild their homeland once the violence is over.  Indeed, every single Syrian we've spoken with in Jordan expressed a desire to return to their homes and communities in Syria. 
 
Here at The Syria Fund, we know we’ve still got a lot of work to do.  With your help, we continue to focus our efforts on creating access to education for the thousands of Syrian kids in Jordan out of school and we continue to respond to emergency situations through direct giving.  This week, as we gather around the table for Thanksgiving and think of our many blessings, we want you all to know we are grateful for your continued support - thank you.

Best,
Lexi, Demetri and The Syria Fund Team

We are back from Jordan. We had an amazing trip, made significant investments in several projects (look out for a full report coming soon), and most importantly, strengthened relationships with our partner organizations.

We are particularly fortunate to work with several qualified and inspiring women in Jordan who work tirelessly in their communities to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis.  Catherine Ashcroft, Nofa Fayz, and Zeinab al-Zubaib each run their own organizations in Jordan.  Although each of them works with different groups and use different methods, they all have the same drive, generosity, and compassion and they are all making a huge impact on the ground.  We hope you enjoy meeting our inspiring partners.

Catherine Ashcroft, Helping Refugees in Jordan (HRJ)

We met Catherine Ashcroft, director of HRJ & Mobilization Specialist for Mercy Corps International, on our first trip to Jordan in March of 2013. Catherine is English, but has been living in the Middle East with her husband and three children for the better part of the last 10 years. In 2012, she started collecting discarded items from friends and families and bringing them to communities with large refugee populations. Quickly, her two car garage became a massive sorting center, housing donations and items purchased in bulk for distribution. What began as a minor volunteer effort has blossomed into a charity that helps thousands of people.  Catherine now works with a network of local Jordanian organizations to address emergency needs and support community projects around Northern Jordan. 

Nofa Fayz, South Azraq Women’s Association (SAWA)

Our partner Nofa has been director of the South Azraq Women's Association (SAWA) since the 1990s, when Azraq was a small town of 9,000. Today, she serves a community nearly twice the size, including over 8,000 Syrian refugees – about 2,000 of whom are young children not in school. Around the perimeter of SAWA’s property, Nofa has been able to set up three caravan classrooms that serve 110 children through the help of partner organizations like ours and donors like you. The kids come five days a week and learn Reading, Writing, and Math. We are so impressed with Nofa and her organization and are thrilled to be helping her expand the capacity of her school by building a library on the second floor of her main office.

Zeinab al-Zubaib, White Hands Association

Zeinab runs The White Hands Association, a small charity located in East Badia, an area in Northeast Jordan. Many Syrian bedouins have fled the war to take refuge in this extremely rural, desert area. Zeinab and her organization find isolated groups of refugees and help respond to their emergency needs. These families are living deep in poverty and don’t have access to many basic items.  Until recently, there were no schools for over 100 children in a community nearby. Through Zeinab’s organization, we are helping to establish two semi-permanent classrooms that will host classes for these children. Zeinab coordinates with the leaders of each community to establish programs and to address more immediate needs, like winter preparation. In addition to helping build one of the tents we supplied during our recent trip, we were happy to bring over 100 winter prep packages including warm coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and milk packets and to distribute them to the sweet children that we met.  This winter, we hope to bring over 2,000 winter prep kits to Syrian children in this region.

We are so grateful to have found dynamic women leading organizations that work every day to make a difference in the lives of those in the most need of assistance.  Help us continue to support these valuable programs today!

In Northeast Jordan, Syrian Bedouin communities that have fled the country live in deep poverty, far removed from any major towns and more importantly, any proper schools.  In this remote location, they cannot adequately support their families. One of our local partners, the White Hands Association (WHA) works to address the needs of these Syrians who are among the most vulnerable communities in Jordan. We are working with WHA to increase children’s access to education and provide winter clothing and milk for dozens of families.

On Wednesday, we left Amman with our cars filled with the winter supplies and powdered milk that we purchased earlier in the week.  As we got off the highway and drove east, the houses were fewer and farther between and the desert more prominent than ever.  Our goal was to deliver winter packages to nearly 100 children and to help erect two semi-permanent tents that we purchased to serve as classrooms.

Large tents will sit on top of concrete floors, furnished with carpets, desks, heaters, and solar lights. Three qualified teachers have already agreed to travel to this community to teach the children, and we hope to secure additional teachers once the program is up and running. Where there was no school, now there are two.

This is the kind of direct giving that we are proud to provide through The Syria Fund.  From an 8-year-old girl named Zahra who looked at us with a giant smile and said “thank you” after receiving her new warm coat to the group of boys who told us how excited they were to finally go to school again for the first time since leaving Syria, we can see the difference we are making. The families we visited were grateful and gracious to us and we worked together to build the tents and determine the logistics of how the classrooms will operate.  We were happy to spend time with Zainab al-Zubaid, the energetic director of WHA, and to observe the relationships she has built within the community she serves.

Although the Syrian conflict and refugee crisis are incredibly complicated and cannot be solved by any one organization, our goals are simple. We identify vulnerable communities with tangible and addressable needs and work with qualified local partners to provide solutions. We are committed to sustaining the projects we’ve worked on this week over the long term. Your continued support makes that possible.

Imagine: you come from a place with a deep rich history and you have a warm home, a kitchen filled with delicious food, a school for your children, and green space in your town for picnics and late night strolls.

Now, your country is in crisis and you have to flee. The nearest safe place is Jordan. And as you enter, you are ushered into Za’atri refugee camp, the largest in Jordan.  There, you find a huge patch of desert converted into an emergency city.  Four years later, you are still there, in the middle of the nowhere, in a pre-fabricated house, living exclusively by handouts. This is now your life.

So what do you do? You find a way to get back some of the things you’ve lost – except that you can’t return to Syria. You find a person that you know within Jordan who can vouch for you and you leave Za’atri, knowing that once you do, you won’t be able to return.

Za’atri camp is where we found ourselves today, hosted by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the organization responsible for managing the camp.  We were able to see the processing center (the first stop for Syrian refugees who want to cross the border into Jordan), a health clinic, a community center and library, and the main market of the camp, nicknamed the “Champs de Elysees” with only a slight dose of sarcasm. 

It was important to see this side of the refugee experience as we continue our work in the urban community.  The media often overlooks the fact that the majority of refugees, after being sent from the Syrian border to the camp, choose to leave. They leave because at Za’atri, they live by handouts. They live crammed next to their neighbors in pre-fabricated houses (only recently converted from tents) with little to do but look out into the desert and reminisce about their lives in Syria. Even with the robust market they have built and various U.N. programs, the refugees are just waiting to return.

But once outside of the camps, there is little support for these refugees and they often become the most vulnerable.  They are unable to work legally, face escalating rent prices, and don’t have the basic suite of services offered in the camp.  When we told the aid workers we met at Za’atri about our organization, they agreed that these are the refugees that need our help the most. 

The programs that we are supporting through The Syria Fund – providing access to education and distributing material goods – significantly reduce the pressure that families face and save them from impossible decisions like returning to war-torn Syria or taking their chances on a smuggler’s boat to Greece.​ 

We spent another day visiting classrooms full of young Syrian kids.  We met children who have come to Jordan from Dara'a (in southern Syria), Damascus, Homs (central Syria), Palmyra (eastern Syria), and many other cities and towns throughout the country.  In the face of so much tragedy, it is uplifting to meet students who are excited to learn, instructors excited to teach, and parents proud that their children are back in school where they belong.  We hope you enjoy this video of young students singing in a classroom in Azraq.

Tomorrow, we're headed to Za'atari, the main refugee camp in Jordan.  UNHCR is organizing a visit so we can learn more about programs offered to refugees there.  Looking forward to sharing what we learn during our time there.

Marwa is an 11-year-old girl from Deraa in southern Syria and has been in Jordan since 2012.  For over two years, she didn’t go to school. “In Syria, I went to school every day, but here I couldn’t.”  Now, Marwa attends class five days a week and is studying math, science, Arabic, and English.  Arabic is her favorite subject – she loves reading and writing and learning new poems and stories.

Marwa is just one little girl of the nearly 100 children who have benefited from catch-up classes through the South Azraq Women’s Association (SAWA). 

Today, we spent the day with these amazing children and saw the light in their eyes as they showed us their homework assignments, told us about their upcoming tests, and introduced us to their friends.

The children come from different cities, arrived in Jordan at different times, and each have unique, heart-breaking stories and experiences – but they have one important thing in common: they love going to school.

There is nothing more important than giving these children the chance to learn and to be kids again.

Nofa, the director of SAWA told us, “When we opened the first classroom, the children came running to us, notebooks and pencils clutched to their chests, shouting ‘We want to go to school! We want to go to school!’”  The library we are building for SAWA will significantly expand their capabilities: it will house over 1,000 books, provide a space for students to study after class, and expand the reach of their program to help students who have missed years of school to catch up with their peers.  

But our partners on the ground rely on the support of organizations like ours to help keep the classrooms open and the teachers employed.  We are happy to say that in addition to helping build and furnish the new library, we’ve committed to sponsoring two teachers over the next 6 months, with the hope of extending this for another six.

We have another full day ahead of us – tomorrow we will sort and pack the items for our Winter Children’s Packages and meet with more of the bright and hopeful Syrian children that we are here to help.  We’ll check in tomorrow! 

Dear Friends,

Hello from Amman!  Our entire volunteer team arrived last night from New York (Lexi, Demetri, and John), Westport (Ken), Cairo (Sarah), and Las Vegas (Robin).  We’re jetlagged but enthusiastic and grateful to be putting the money we raised to good use.

Our first task was shopping in the market for items for our Winter Children’s Packages.  In addition to the warm clothes and shoes that we received from several donors in the U.S. (thank you, Sophia and Sean!!), we picked out about 100 second-hand coats and pairs of kids’ boots.   We also purchased 100 warm, thick blankets and 1,500 bags of powdered milk.  These will be bundled up and distributed to families in the coming days to prepare them for winter.

Tonight, we spent several hours packing small gift bags for the kids.  Each one is a little different, but they contain crayons, construction paper, toy cars, stickers, mini mazes, and more!  We’re looking forward to the smiles on kids’ faces when we bring them these little gifts.

Tomorrow we go to Azraq, where your donations have already funded the construction of a new community center for our partner organization, SAWA (the South Azraq Women’s Association).  We’ll meet with the team, check in on the progress of construction, and learn more about the small school they’ve developed.  We’re excited to share pictures and stories tomorrow.

Thank you so much for your support!  This is just the beginning - we’re rolling up our sleeves and getting to work with The Syria Fund.

Warmly,

The Syria Fund Team

Dear Friends,

Our trip to Jordan is just two days away!  We're emailing to share a short video and tell you how you can follow us during our trip.

One of the most heartwarming experiences of our last trip was distributing small care packages to children of families we visited.  

This time, we are bringing bags of donations and children’s packages thanks to the help of our amazing young supporters. Sophia, an 8th grader from Massachusetts, collected warm clothing, stuffed animals, toothbrushes/toothpaste, and school supplies. Ava, a 4th grader in New York, hand-sewed small stuffed animals to give out.  

We added in crayons, coloring books, stickers, and a few other goodies to make fun and educational kits for the kids.

We packed these items up on Sunday and made a fun video to share with all of you.  We hope you enjoy it!

We'll be posting updates during our trip at The Syria Fund blog (www.thesyriafund.org/blog).  We can't wait to share stories and pictures of the wonderful projects that your donations will be funding.  Thank you as always for your support.  Together, we are making a huge difference!

Best,

The Syria Fund Team

Dear Friends,

Thanks to your tremendous support, we have raised $30,000 over the last month and a half!  We are thrilled to tell you about the incredible work that has already begun.   

In Azraq, Jordan, the population has nearly doubled from the influx of Syrian refugees.  Nearly 50% are minors and 3 out of 5 kids are out of school due to lack of space and economic deprivation.  After years of missed classes, children are often too far behind to enter school even if the opportunity does become available. 

To help address this massive need, we began construction this week on a community room and library, an addition to a community center run by our local partner charity, the South Azraq Women’s Association (SAWA).  In the coming weeks, we will fill the room with hundreds of books and hired instructors to teach catch-up classes and host reading groups for children who otherwise don’t have access to education.  As the center grows, we will supply computers and expand our educational programs to provide technology and English classes to young adults.

The Syrian refugee problem isn’t going away.  This project will be sustainable over time as we work with our local partners at SAWA.  We will empower the community to play a role in the programs and provide employment for local teachers and administrators to help the center thrive.

As you can see, your donations are already having a tremendous impact.  Together, we are helping families get back on track, educate their children and create a new sense of purpose.  We encourage you to tell your friends about your involvement with this project by sharing our website (www.thesyriafund.org)!

We will be in Azraq to oversee the construction of the center in just two weeks and look forward to sharing updates.  Thank you again for your continued support. 

Best,

The Syria Fund Team