It's Refugee Week & We Have A 5-Year Update From TSF!
The Syria Fund is becoming The Azraq Education and Community Fund - read on to learn more!
Dear Supporters,
This week is Refugee Week and we are reflecting on five incredible years of efforts and impact at The Syria Fund. We have an exciting announcement that we’re eager to share with you!
When we started our organization five years ago, we committed to bring communities together, to stand with refugees, and to make a difference for those most impacted by the war in Syria.
We learned so much as we grew from a group of volunteers meeting at a dining room table in the US to a registered organization with a team on the ground in Jordan and a close connection to the community we serve. Through amazing partnerships and the experience we gained over the years, we focused our efforts on the remote and rural town of South Azraq, Jordan - where nearly HALF the population are refugees - and built our flagship program, The Azraq Center.
What started as just two classrooms and a mission to get Syrian children back in school has grown into a thriving center and community hub with over 20 local team members serving more than 240 students, from ages 3+, on a daily basis. Our commitment to this underserved town extends to the wider community - as we expand our programming into adult education and literacy, high school test prep, increased humanitarian assistance for those most in need, and more.
This Refugee Week, we are excited to share that we’ve made the decision to deepen our commitment to the community of Azraq and move towards a more community-based approach with a long-term, strategic vision for the future.
Part of this direction includes changing our name, The Syria Fund, to better reflect our mission, programs, and commitment to the entire community of Azraq - both Syrian and Jordanian. One of the most important lessons we have learned is that the best way to help refugee communities is to also support the host communities where they live. So with that, we’d like to introduce you to our NEW NAME:
The Azraq Education and Community Fund (AECF)
Our name is changing but there will be no changes to our leadership, local team, or Board of Directors - we are the same non-profit you’ve come to know! The new name reflects our commitment to be more inclusive in the community we serve, strengthen our ties to the town of Azraq, and strategically move forward into the future!
In the coming days and weeks, we’ll be updating our website, social media, logo and more. Look out for more on that!
We are deeply grateful for your support over the years and we look forward to continuing to show you the impact of your contributions, as we deliver critical educational and social programs for Syrian refugees and other vulnerable families in Azraq! Thank you, as always, for making our work possible!
Warmly and with gratitude,
Lexi Shereshewsky
Executive Director, The Syria Fund / The Azraq Education and Community Fund
