We're going to Jordan!

The Songs for Syrians 2017 Music Week is coming up May 12-20. Read on to learn about our plans! 

We can't believe it has been three months since we all gathered together in New York City for the Songs for Syrians fundraiser! That night, we raised $21,000 that to help expand our music program for Syrian refugee children in Jordan. As part of the program, we've tapped into the expertise of Nina Stern and S'Cool Sounds to bring an intensive week of music education to the students and teachers at 4 different schools across Jordan. 
Here's the update:

THE TEAM

Nina Stern
Concert musician and founder of S'Cool Sounds Nina Stern has been hailed as an innovator in teaching school-age children to be fine young musicians. Nina has shared her teaching methods with students and teachers throughout the U.S. and in the Netherlands, and has spearheaded recorder programs in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya, Kigutu, Burundi and in multiple classrooms for Syrian refugee children throughout Northern Jordan in partnership with TSF.

Owais Omari
Owais has been working with The Syria Fund as a music teacher and program coordinator since September 2016. He is an accomplished guitar player, singer and educator. In addition to his work with refugee students, Owais plays in two different bands and helps TSF and our partners keep our programs on track and ever improving. 

Spiff Wiegand
Spiff plays over 20 instruments as diverse as accordion, didgeridoo, and violin. As a one man band he even plays up to 7 simultaneously (see the videos on YouTube). He regularly performs in a wide variety of styles like Western Swing, Contra Dance, Country, French Musette, Rock and more. He's taught music to youth from 3 months to 18 years and has designed curricula for classes in improvisation, practicing, body percussion, and frame drums. Click to learn more!

Lexi Shereshewsky
Lexi was inspired to start The Syria Fund after spending time living and studying in Damascus, Syria throughout 2009 and 2010. As Executive Director, Lexi works closely with TSF's partners on the ground and donors from across the U.S. and around the world to bring people together and programs like Songs for Syrians to life. 

THE SCHOOLS

Sahab: 45 minutes south of Amman in Sahab, TSF runs weekly music classes as part of MECI's 2nd shift education program in Jordanian public schools. Click to learn more. 
Al-Rahba School: 115 students attend the Al-Rahba School in rural NE Jordan through our partners at the White Hands Association. TSF is excited to launch the SFS program at Al-Rahba this Spring! Click to learn more.
Azraq School: TSF's music team is excited to return to the Azraq school this year where we initially launched the SFS program in 2016. Click to learn more.

 

THE PLAN

To build upon the great work that our music teacher Owais has been doing with the children, and to take them to the next level, Nina and Spiff are designing a special curriculum that will include new songs and techniques for the recorder, instrument building, hand percussion and more! The instructors will have specific time with classroom teachers to expose them to the benefits of using music in their everyday lessons. At the end of each school’s session, the students and teachers will have the opportunity to perform for their peers and celebrate their accomplishments!

Music is a proven method to help children learn in so many ways. The students in our programs have endured so much -- from fleeing their war-torn country to missing years of school due to lack of access. Music is a way for them to reconnect, use their brains in different and unique ways, and just have fun! You can learn more about all the ways that music benefits a child's education HERE. 

We’re so excited for the 2017 SFS Music Week and we hope you’ll follow along! We’ll be posting from our social media handles on Facebook and Instagram. Make sure to join us!

And in the meantime, get inspired by the ORIGINAL song, written and composed by the Azraq school’s 3rd grade music class, Al-Shams Al-Azhar (The Sun That Makes The Flowers Grow):

Thanks for your continued support! This is all possible because of YOU!

With gratitude,

The Syria Fund & S’Cool Sounds Music Team

2017 has been off to a great start at The Syria Fund!

UPDATES FROM OUR SCHOOLS:

White Hands School
120 kids now attend school at the White Hands School in rural Badia Shmaliya in Northeast Jordan. A new library and librarian are now at the school, bringing fun activities that inspire our kids to read every day! We are also excited to start music classes at the school this Spring as part of our #SongsForSyrians music program!

Azraq
At the Azraq School, students started a small rooftop garden, planting local trees in recycled tires. They were so excited and proud of this project, that we are now laying the groundwork for a proper community garden! We’ll be using the talents of a local farmer named Heyel to create a sustainable, water-efficient garden in recycled water tanks. The kids will learn about growing and harvesting vegetables and herbs like eggplants, tomatoes, mint and parsley! Big thanks to the EcoKids Kindergarten class in Amman for raising money to start this garden project!

Many of the children at the White Hands school live in tents in very remote desert areas. When we first partnered with the White Hands Association, none of these children were going to school at all. In late 2015, we created tented classrooms in their communities to address this immediate need.  Today, these students are able to ride to school in a bus, attend classes in a proper classroom, and have access to a library and extracurricular activities. This amazing success story is all thanks to YOUR support!

MECI
The Syria Fund continues to work closely with our partners at the Middle East Children’s Institute (MECI) to bring life skills trainings to Syrian and Jordanian teenagers. Teenagers can be especially hard to reach in refugee communities as they often have to work to support their families. Life Skills trainings teach them self-confidence and the value of leadership and community organizing. Recent TSF-supported Life Skills trainings brought together Syrian and Jordanian boys to beautify their neighborhood with a small garden!

Your support allows us to run these programs for hundreds of Syrian children in Jordan. From supporting teachers to buying school supplies to hosting extracurricular activities like those mentioned above -- every dollar makes a difference! Help us keep these programs going! 

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Celebrating Women's History Month
As Women’s History Month comes to an end, we are proud to highlight our amazing partner organizations - both in Jordan and the United States - all run by incredible women who work tirelessly in their communities to address the pressing needs of refugees. These individuals do great work to support refugees and be advocates for women everywhere. Here are a few of their stories (click each picture to watch their video!):

Catherine Ashcroft, founder of Helping Refugees in Jordan (HRJ), started collecting discarded items from friends and families in Amman, Jordan and bringing them to communities with large refugee populations. Quickly, her garage became a massive sorting center, housing items for distribution. What began as a minor volunteer effort has blossomed into a charity that helps thousands of refugees with direct aid and sustainable programs across Jordan. 

Zeinab Al-Zubaid runs The White Hands Association, a local charity in Badia Shmaliya, an area in rural Northeast Jordan. Many Syrians have fled the war to take refuge in this extremely rural, desert area. With the help of The Syria Fund and HRJ, Zeinab's charity established multiple education spaces for the 100s of kids with no access to schools. The White Hands Schools for Refugees now reach nearly 500 students!

Milana Vayntrub was vacationing in Greece when she saw first-hand the extent of the refugee crisis spilling into Europe. Rather than ignoring what she saw, she took action, extending her ticket to go volunteer and ultimately starting the #CantDoNothing movement. Milana has helped raise thousands of dollars for TSF's education programs and is an amazing advocate for refugees and role model for all of us!

At the Azraq school in Jordan, The Syria Fund supports full time teachers who educate over 100 Syrian refugee children in Arabic, Math and Science. Miriam was hired as a teacher three years ago after fleeing Syria and is proud to bring knowledge to her 26 students every day.

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SONGS FOR SYRIANS FUNDRAISER

At the end of January, we had our first New York City fundraiser. New Yorkers came together and raised over $21,000 to fully fund our growing music program for the entire year! We are thrilled to expand the initiative to bring music education to over 300 students. We are also planning another music-intensive week in Jordan in mid-May! Thanks to everyone who came out, and if you couldn’t be there, check out our event highlight video below:

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Thanks for reading! As always, everything that we do is because of YOUR generous support! THANK YOU! 

Keep up your amazing work -- make a donation to The Syria Fund today and LIKE us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on what we're doing! 

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Warmly,
Lexi, Demetri, Nora & The Syria Fund team

We are SO proud of our fourth grade class at the Azraq school who wrote and composed their own song! Enjoy! Learn more about our Songs for Syrians program HERE. 

Dear Supporters,

Happy New Year!  2016 had a lot of ups and downs but we couldn't be more proud of everything that has happened at The Syria Fund this year. That is why we are so excited to present you with our FIRST annual report! As you read about the major accomplishments of our first 15 months of existence, please consider making a donation to The Syria Fund as part of your end-of-year giving.

In the first year of The Syria Fund, we learned and accomplished so much and we have felt the full range of emotions. Working with our partners on the ground in Jordan, we have met and heard the stories of families in heartbreaking situations and also felt the immense joy of helping to lighten the load for so many in need. We built a community of supporters from across the United States and around the world who lend their support because we all believe that families deserve a safe place to call home and every child deserves a chance to get an education.

We have been so touched by outstanding generosity of all of you, our donors, who come from nearly every state and across the world. Every food parcel, every warm blanket, and every smile on the face of a little boy or girl back in school for the first time in years is possible because of your contributions. From the young supporter who sewed stuffed animals by hand to the classroom of third-graders who performed Syrian melodies on the recorder to share with our refugee music students in Jordan to the dozens of volunteers who helped with everything from designing mailers to tax advice, we have been humbled by the selfless desire of so many to make an impact. Together, we can grow The Syria Fund, expand our programs, and reach across the world to positively impact the lives of thousands and remind them that they are not forgotten.  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

The Syria Fund's Major 2016 Accomplishments:

1. Created 5 new education facilities that now host over 500 students

2. Employed 9 fulltime teachers, both Syrian and Jordanian

3. Distributed 1000s of critically-needed items to vulnerable families who needed it most

4. Launched our first music program, Songs for Syrians, and expanded it to reach 200 students

5. Kept all administrative and development costs under 7%, ensuring that 93% of funds raised went directly towards TSF programming

Thank you for an amazing year! Here is to a more peaceful and joyful 2017 for Syrian families and all others around the world who need it most.

With gratitude,
Lexi, Demetri and The Syria Fund team

Join us on Thursday January 26th in New York City for a night of music and culture to raise money for Songs for Syrians, a music education program for Syrian refugee children in Jordan!

Songs For Syrians is a music education program designed for Syrian refugee children in Jordan created by New York City-based non-profits The Syria Fund and S'Cool Sounds. Music director and concert musician Nina Stern and Montessori music educator Matilda Giampietro, PhD have developed an innovative approach to the group study of instrumental music and dance using recorders and local percussion instruments. With an emphasis on local musical traditions, Songs for Syrians aims to celebrate Syrian culture while bringing unique approaches to music education mastered in the United States.

Join us on Thursday, 1/26 at 7pm for Middle Eastern eats catered by Eat Offbeat, wine and soft drinks and a special musical performance by East of the River and help us raise money to expand this valuable music program.

Dear Supporters,
 
We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Sitting around the table with family and friends last week, we were particularly grateful for the amazing support you've provided this year to help thousands of refugee families in need. As the situation for Syrians worsens by the day, we continue our important work to respond to the needs that so many are facing -- and we couldn't do it without each and every one of you. 

Last month, we put out a call to help The Syria Fund bring critically-needed food supplies to thousands of families trapped in a makeshift camp on the Syria-Jordan border.  This area is called the Berm, after the raised barrier of sand in no man’s land between the two countries. The estimated 75,000 people living there today have been almost entirely cut off from humanitarian aid since a security incident at the end of June.
 
When we called, you answered. In 48 hours, and with the generous support of actress Kristen Bell, we raised $17,000 to purchase food to distribute directly to these families in need! We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support - thank you to everyone who donated, shared our posts, and forwarded our email.

With this incredible effort, we purchased and assembled over 800 food packages.  In mid-November, our partner organizations distributed those packages to approximately 4,800 refugees trapped at the Berm. Each package, valued at $21 USD, included the below items and was designed to last a family of six for 2+ weeks:

• 5kg rice
• 2kg sugar
• 800 gr powdered milk
• 1 box tea bags (tea is a very important part of Syrian culture)
• 1.8 ltr cooking oil
• 4 tins of beans
• 3 packets of spaghetti
• 3 packets of macaroni noodles
• 1 bag of lentils
• 1 pack cooking stock cubes
• 4 packets of tomato puree

This is just one example of the tremendous impact you've made this year. All of you have come together to donate what you can and spread the message that our community cares about the people of Syria and, with so many in dire circumstances, we #cantdonothing. THANK YOU!

Later this month, we'll be sending out our 2016 Annual Report -- stay tuned for a detailed breakdown of our projects and finances to see what we've accomplished through The Syria Fund this year and where we're heading in 2017!
 
With continued gratitude,
Lexi, Demetri and The Syria Fund team

Dear Supporters,

This past June, The Syria Fund launched our first music program Songs for Syrians. Since we started, we've been committed to continuing the program and expanding it to reach other Syrian children who can benefit from the experience of learning a musical instrument and interacting with their peers through music. 

As Nina Stern, concert musician and co-producer of Songs for Syrians said,

"It was a powerful and uplifting experience, spending a week in Azraq with The Syria Fund and our music team - at times joyous, at times sad, at times frustrating, but always inspirational. In our S'Cool Sounds programs we aim to teach many things through music - focus and discipline, team work and compassion, communication and respect - but primarily we seek to bring joy to children, their teachers, and families. We had many joyful moments, which were made all the more precious by the knowledge that these children and their families have endured such suffering."

This week, our Songs for Syrians program in Azraq held their first concert AND we formally launched the program at three new schools for Syrian refugees in Salt, Jordan through our partners at MECI. 

Led by our extremely talented and dedicated music teacher Owais, we are continuing to bring music to our students and in doing so, encouraging their self expression and personal growth for years to come!

None of this would be possible without YOUR support! You are making a HUGE difference getting these kids back on track, in the classroom, and using positive outlets to express themselves after all they have been through. THANK YOU! 

If this program inspires you, like it does us, share it with your friends and consider making another donation to support Songs for Syrians today!

With love and gratitude,
The Syria Fund team
 

Dear Supporters,

We are in urgent need of your help.

As many of you know, The Syria Fund has been providing critically-needed food and hygiene aid to the vulnerable population of Syrian refugees stranded in a remote desert area on the Syria-Jordan border.

These refugees -- who now number close to 75,000 -- have been almost entirely without humanitarian assistance since the end of June when a security breach led to Jordan sealing the border. 

A make-shift graveyard on the Syria-Jordan border [source: Amnesty International]

Food is scarce and disease is spreading. Aid organizations have not been able to reach the camp to properly document the awful conditions.  But recent satellite images show makeshift grave sites.  Aid workers believe the deaths are due to hunger, hepatitis and other infectious diseases, and women forced to give birth without medical care. 

We've just gotten word that our partners on the ground have finally received permission from the Jordanian authorities to deliver food aid this week.  We are asking for your support to ensure that they can purchase and deliver as much food as they can bring.

We urgently need your help to make this possible.

A generous donor has agreed to match all donations up to $5,000, so your gift will have twice the impact!

As always, your donations will go directly towards purchasing and delivering items into the hands of families in need.

Please help us by spreading the word to your families and friends. This is an opportunity to make an immediate, life-saving impact for people who desperately need our support.

Examples of food items and pricing:

5 kg bag of rice: $4.25
5 kg bag of sugar $4.00
Box of tea bags: $1.75
Can of beans $0.35 each
1.8 liters of cooking oil $2.85
800 gram bag of powdered milk $4.25

Thank you for your generosity and continued support. Together, we are making a tremendous difference and we are so grateful to each and every one of you for making it possible.

Warmly,
Lexi, Demetri & The Syria Fund team

To learn more about this difficult situation, you can check out the below links:
CNN: Syria's 'ghost refugees' struggle for survival in no man's land
Al Jazeera International: Amnesty: 75,000 refugees trapped on Syria-Jordan border
New York Times: Save The Refugees On The Berm

#CantDoNothing founder Milana Vayntrub joined The Syria Fund as part of #SongsForSyrians, a music and arts workshop for Syrian refugee children in Azraq, Jordan. Here, Milana shares her experience: 

The Syria Fund is an inspiring organization that provides education to kids that may be left without it otherwise. I think most people assume that refugee children attend school in the camps, which is mostly true, however 80% of refugees in Jordan don't live in the camps. 

Traveling to Azraq, Jordan with The Syria Fund to meet the kids and see the classrooms they've established was incredible. I hope the people that donated know how valuable their contributions have been and the impact they've made in Azraq and in other high-poverty areas in Northern Jordan.

I'm so happy I got to be a part of the #SongsforSyrians program and teach art to the kids, while two amazingly talented teachers taught them music. The music lit the kids up. They loved it!

My favorite part was TSF Founder Lexi's wonderful talk with the girls about how important it is that they continue studying even if it gets hard. She said it's especially important for girls. They seemed to hear her loud and clear. Now we just have to make sure there's a thriving school for them to attend. 

On our last night in Azraq, we had a big party. The kids sang, performed new songs they learned on the recorder, we hung up everyone's art projects, and invited their families to participate. The kids danced, played, giggled and had more fun than they've probably had in a while. By providing them with education, we are offering them a future with an opportunity to make a better life. 

Help us expand our #SongsForSyrians music and arts program by making a tax-deductible donation today!

Join the #CantDoNothing movement! Share your voice and let us know why you #cantdonothing

Marqa is a deep poverty pocket outside of Amman, Jordan. Extremely cheap rent has attracted a large number of refugees, widows and others with physical and mental disabilities.

This month, through your generous support and with the help of our partners at HRJ, The Syria Fund provided food packages, milk, medical supplies and other critical aid to 30 families that will sustain them for the next three months.

Here are some of their stories: 

This is Nissar from Syria. After his brother was killed in the war, he fled with his own wife and children and his brother's wife and children to Jordan. He is responsible for providing for both families - nine people in total. He tries to work but it is difficult for Syrian refugees to find reliable work. 

Umm Alleh's husband suffers from mental health issues and war trauma. Sometimes her husband disappears for days at a time. He has been found wandering the streets or sleeping outside. She tries to provide income for their family of four children by selling Syrian dishes at the market, but this is simply not enough. Food boxes supplied by The Syria Fund will alleviate a lot of the stress she carries. 

Umm Ismail's husband was killed in the war in Syria. Her daughter’s husband was also killed in Syria. Today, they live with twelve people in one house, including her children and her daughter’s children. It is extremely difficult for them to provide enough food and income for all of them to live. 

For $40, you can provide a month of food packages for a family in need. Please consider making a donation and helping us continue to provide for these struggling families.