When we aren't the ones suffering, it's easy to turn our backs on others. But if we don't help each other, what will become of us? This is not about politics or beliefs- it's about being human.
I was supposed to go to California this summer.
In fact, I'd been looking forward to surfing some of the best beaches in the United States and hanging out with friends there for over a year. But in June, I watched The White Helmets, a documentary about the Syrian Civil War, and it changed everything. The film had opened my eyes to the refugee crisis and made me want to do something so badly. It was impossible now for me to just have fun all summer when there were so many things to be done to help others. I dove into researching every aspect of the war, watching countless videos and reading numerous articles. I discovered that over a million refugees had fled to the neighboring country of Jordan, most of them not even living in refugee camps but rather, in urban areas under varying conditions. I told my dad everything I'd learned and told him that we had to go to Jordan. He listened carefully and thought it was a good idea, but told me it had to be either Jordan or California, not both.
That was the easiest choice I'd ever had to make.
I discovered The Syria Fund through Instagram and reached out to the cofounder, Lexi. She was incredibly nice and helpful from the start, and I'm lucky to know her. I met with her in NYC in late June, and was so inspired by her. Lexi had lived in Damascus before the war and started this non-profit organization in hopes of helping the Syrian people who had made her feel so at home years ago. The Syria Fund constantly supplies refugee families who need financial help with food and other critically-needed supplies. They also started two schools in Jordan that allows Syrian kids to continue their educations and can keep learning without letting a war put their futures on hold. Lexi made it possible for me to visit one of the schools, and we worked out all the details together. Check them out here !
In mid-July, I finally embarked on this life-changing trip to Jordan, accompanied my dad, sister and grandma. From the moment I stepped foot there, I felt at home. It's safe to say that it is the one country that completely stole my heart. For the first few days, I was a tourist visiting Petra, the Dead Sea and Jerash, but the day of the school visit quickly arrived. My family and I were in Amman on that day, and we drove over early to pick up Owais, one of the school's teachers, at his house. We all chatted and got to know each other before hitting the road for Azraq. Owais was so kind and acted as our tour guide for the day. He's a music teacher, and is very good at what he does. We gradually left the bustle of the capital for gaping fields of dried grass. The number of cars on the highway slowly began to drop, as Azraq is a pretty isolated city in Northern Jordan. We passed a military base and several Syrian border signs on our way, signifying how close we were to the war-torn country.
