Pitch the Tent

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.