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

On September 13th, The Syria Fund held our first fundraiser in Tribeca, NY. We sold fresh Syrian Mint Lemonade, homemade brownies, and hand-made bracelets and raised over $1,000 to help Syrian children in Jordan get an education. Thanks to everyone who came out!

Like many of you, we were transfixed last week by the images of the body of an innocent Syrian boy washed up on the beach in Turkey and of the thousands of refugees willing to walk hundreds of miles through Europe to realize better, safer lives away from conflict.  But resettling refugees in Europe is not a sustainable solution. 

An editorial in today’s New York Times helps explain that one of the reason Syrians make the impossible decision to flee by boat, on foot, or hidden in the back of a truck is that conditions are so miserable for refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.  Large aid agencies are running out of funding because countries that have committed money have failed to provide it.  The Syria Fund offers an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of refugees in Jordan today.

With the help of our dedicated board members, our incredible youth ambassador and all of you, we are hoping to raise $25,000 prior to our trip to Jordan on October 15th to build a multi-functional facility that will provide catch-up classes for children and professional development for young adults in a safe, nurturing environment.  We’ve already raised $7,000 and are confident that we can reach our goal with your help!

What can you do to help?  Please take a moment to forward this email, post a link to our website on social media, or mention us to others who want to get involved.  If every recipient reaches out to just three interested people, we will reach more than a thousand people looking to make a difference.

Thank you for your continued support and for making a difference today!

Two and a half years ago, Demetri and I started a fundraising effort to help Syrian refugees living in Jordan.  With the support of over 200 of our friends and family, we raised nearly $30,000 to purchase and distribute material goods including clothing, school supplies, baby formula, and medical supplies for families in need.  Today, we would like to introduce you to The Syria Fund, a 501(c)(3)-accredited charity dedicated to building upon our work and expanding our reach to help Syrian refugees and others affected by this ongoing crisis.

We are dedicated to this cause because from 2009-10, we lived in Syria, a country rich in history and culture.  We were astounded by the generosity and warmth of the people we met there, so we were horrified when, mere months after moving back to the U.S., the country was torn apart by violence.  Today, over 4 million Syrians have been forced to flee their country and this staggering number keeps growing.

The Syria Fund provides opportunities for refugee families to create a sense of normalcy after experiencing tremendous hardships over more than 4 years of conflict.  In the face of this enormous humanitarian crisis, we focus our efforts on families living in Mafraq and Azraq – cities in Jordan with significant populations of Syrians living outside of UN-organized refugee camps.  These families are underserved by larger aid organizations and The Syria Fund provides meaningful contributions to directly better their lives. 

This October, we are returning to Jordan.  We will continue our project of purchasing and distributing food, household goods, and medical supplies and we will start a new initiative to build classrooms for children who have missed years of school due to the conflict. 

You can get involved today by making a tax-deductible donation to support The Syria Fund.  This is an opportunity for you to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families facing severe hardship.  

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing additional information about our projects, partners, and other ways to stay involved with The Syria Fund.  Thank you for your support!

It is hard to believe but it has almost been one year since we first started fundraising to help Syrian refugees living in Jordan.  Since then (and you may want to sit down for this) we have collectively raised $27,998(!!!).  Donations continue to come in to our Mercy Corps page (a special thanks to the recent incredible support from Catherine, Jerry, and their friends) and it feels so good to have helped seriously improve the circumstances for so many individuals and families.  Sadly, the situation in Syria has only deteriorated and the need for aid continues grow but we should all be really proud of the impact that we have made.  Your donations are making a real difference! 

Here is a recap of some of the incredible work that Mercy Corps and Helping Refugees in Jordan (HRJ) has been doing over the last couple of months supported by your donations:  

– Volunteers distributed over 3,500 children’s packages which included a warm winter jacket, winter clothing, hat, gloves, scarves, socks, toys, coloring items, hygiene items, etc.  We were also able to supply thick winter blankets to another 500 children. We also bought 200 gas cooking stoves and 200 heaters in December alone!

– Mercy Corps ran a winterization program for 3,600 families and many of our children’s winter packages complemented those as the MC ones did not include clothing.  Added to the 3,600 families packages were 20,000 toothbrushes and 3,600 packets of detergent funded from the HRJ donations.

– The group has held training workshops for volunteers to help at Children’s Activity Days and they continue to host these programs in Zarqa and Mafraq (Northern Jordan) for groups of Syrian children on a regular basis.

– Thousands of books have been purchased for informal schools, a playground was built in the town of Azraq, and we continue to purchase wheelchairs and hearing aids for people with disabilities.

– Over 400 Syrian children have been identified as out of school and been placed in formal schools through HRJ. This is an ongoing effort and MC expects an additional hundred to be added this month.

– 11 marathons in 11 days, a fundraiser planned by HRJ, is taking place in March. The distance run in the marathons will reach the full length of Jordan. All funds raised will go towards education-specific purchases.

– Mercy Corps launched the “We Care About Syria” campaign in response to many refugees feeling forgotten and rejected by the world. It is a way for people, especially children, to send message of support. Photos with their messages are being given to children during children’s activity days and family visits to remind them the world cares about Syria. If you’d like to participate, check out their page at: https://www.facebook.com/WeCareAboutSyria

– Several local Syrian and Jordanian volunteers of HRJ have, after training with Catherine (the director), received internships and jobs.

– Income-generation projects have included buying tools for carpenters, starting businesses to sell SIM cards, setting up 6 families to raise chickens for eggs to eat and sell, providing bikes for long distance commuting for work, arranging transport to the British Council for free English lessons, and starting women’s cooking projects. 

– Mercy Corps supports IOM (http://www.jordan.iom.int/) shelters for trafficked women.

These are just a few highlights and the more support we receive, the more we can do!  

As always, thank you for your support; we couldn’t have done it without you!  We continue to accept donations here: (http://www.mercycorps.org/people/catherine-ashcroft/refugees-jordan).  If you are interested in continuing your support, please mention Lexi’s name (Lexi Shereshewsky) in the comments so we can thank you personally!