Dear TSF Supporters,

We hope you are staying warm in these winter months! Read on for highlights from the first two months of 2019. Thank you as always for your consistent support - everything we do is possible because of you!

Winter Humanitarian Aid

A New Tent: In January, an intense winter storm hit Azraq with freezing temperatures and gale-force winds. A Jordanian family with four young children living in a tent in a rural desert area literally lost their home in the middle of the night when the winds ripped the tent from under them.
TSF and our local partners at the South Azraq Women’s Association responded immediately. Police picked up the family from the desert and brought them to one of our classrooms that we quickly converted into a shelter for the night.
In the morning, we brought warm jackets and other outdoor clothes for the children. We purchased a new sturdy tent and carpet for the family. Within hours, the tent was properly set up and the family was back on their feet.

Fuel & Wheelchairs: TSF additionally distributed fuel for gas heaters to over 30 families and brought wheelchairs to 5 individuals in need this month. Special thanks to our donors Adnan and the Sunrise Rotary Club for supporting these efforts!

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Poetry & Art Workshop in Azraq

TSF partnered with the organization Voices of the Children to run a 3-part workshop with the students at our Azraq Center. In exchange with a private school in Geneva, Switzerland, the program centers around the concept “What is Home?” through three distinct workshops:

Part 1: Poetry - Students were introduced to poetry composition and each student wrote their own poem beginning with “Home is…”.

Part 2: Artistic Interpretation - The poems were translated and exchanged with the other student group. Our students in Jordan read the Geneva poems and created drawings reflecting the words they read. The students learned from each other's poetry that even though they come from such different circumstances, they found they had more in common than what sets them apart! 

Part 3: Mural Creation - Next week, we will conduct the third part of the workshop where students will create a large-scale mural using elements from their drawings! This summer, we will share the mural in a moving exhibition in Jordan and other areas!

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Montessori Teacher Training

With support from the Blossom Hill Foundation, The Syria Fund will be opening up the first ever early education program in Azraq at our new campus this Spring. To create a program inspired by Montessori teaching methodologies, we partnered with the Modern Montessori School (MMS) in Amman, Jordan to host a 180-hour teacher training program for 11 local trainees from Azraq. The training provided both theoretical and hands-on learning opportunities at the school in Amman. Through MMS, we’ve acquired an Arabic-language Montessori curriculum and when our school opens this Spring, we will host 30 children ages 3-5 in this innovative setting!

Make sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram (@thesyriafund) to stay up-to-date on our activities! We appreciate everything you do to support the communities we serve.

With gratitude,
The Syria Fund team

A Summer Update from The Syria Fund

Summer is in full swing for our beneficiaries in Jordan! Check out updates below and thank you as always for supporting The Syria Fund's important work for refugees in Jordan.

A New Campus for The Azraq School

This summer, we are thrilled to partner with the European-based NGO Emergency Architecture and Human Rights (EA-HR) to build a new campus for The Azraq School! EA-HR committed to build 100 classrooms for refugee children and, as part of this plan, they are constructing a new campus for us less than a mile down the road from our current school. EA-HR hired a local construction crew of Syrians and Jordanians and is training them, while they work, in sustainable building techniques. 

The new campus (Campus B) will include four classrooms, an IT lab, library, kitchen, and a sports field! Upon completion, it will host up to 200 Syrian and Jordanian children and youth and employ nearly 20 adults for the upcoming school year!

A special thank you for the generosity and partnership of the Moosa Family, our partners at EA-HR, HRJ and SAWA, WeWork NY, and everyone else who has made this expansion a reality! Many more updates to come throughout the summer so be sure to like us onFacebook for pictures, videos and more!

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Summer Camp at Campus A

A short walk up the road from the construction site, the summer program on Campus A is in full swing. Special classes, activities, games and more are offered in a camp format to our more than 110 students every day!

Recent activities have included: gardening, soccer club, art and music, IT presentations, reading in the library, and relay races!

Our education programs are 100% donor supported! Consider setting up a recurring donation today to support teacher salaries, school supplies and more!

Ongoing Humanitarian Aid Programming

Throughout Ramadan and the summer, The Syria Fund has continued our ongoing food and humanitarian aid distributions.

• 150+ food boxes were distributed to families in need throughout the month of June. With our partners, we delivered fresh chickens along with non-perishable items for families in advance of the Eid holiday.
• Our successful Mother’s Day campaign raised money to bring essential hygiene kits to 100+ moms.
• As always, we will continue to supply food, hygiene, and other critical items to families in need across Northern Jordan.

Volunteers in Action

This World Refugee Day, The Syria Fund teamed up with WeWork for two days of fundraising activities in New York City.

Across two different WeWork locations, the TSF team shared the story of The Azraq School's expansion and raised money to furnish the new classrooms! Thanks to the entire WeWork community for coming out and showing that you #StandWithRefugees!

Staying in Touch

If you’re interested in getting more regular updates from The Syria Fund, make sure to follow us on social media!

Thank you for all that you do to keep our programs going!

With gratitude,
The Syria Fund team

From our students at The Azraq School and our entire team at The Syria Fund: Ramadan Kareem! May your month be filled with happiness, love, and peace with family and loved ones. 

This Ramadan, we're distributing food boxes with staple items like rice, beans, oil and more to vulnerable families in Jordan. Learn more and donate a $35 food box today:

Dear Supporters,

We are proud to present The Syria Fund's 2017 Annual Report! Read on to learn about our major 2017 accomplishments and where The Syria Fund is heading in 2018.

With your support, in 2017 we:

• Raised over $200,000 to support refugees and other vulnerable families in Jordan
• Distributed food and humanitarian aid to over 1,000 families
• Provided education opportunities to more than 250 children
• Expanded our music program to reach an additional 100 children
• Created jobs for 15 adults in Jordan
• Registered our flagship education program, The Azraq School, as an official education program with the Jordanian Ministry of Education

As you read about The Syria Fund's major accomplishments in 2017, please consider setting up a monthly donation to The Syria Fund. Your monthly contributions allow us to better plan our humanitarian aid distributions and create new spaces for children in our education programs.

Everything we do is possible because of your generous support! Thank you to each and every one of you for taking action and contributing money, time, and skills to make a real difference for the many refugee families we serve. 

With immense gratitude,

Lexi Shereshewsky
Executive Director, The Syria Fund

Dear TSF Supporters,

Happy Spring! The Syria Fund has been hard at work making major expansions to our education programs, aligning them more closely than ever with the official Jordanian Response Plan, and reaching out to different groups, like teenagers and young adults, to broaden our impact! Read on to see what we've been up to thanks to your support.

The Stamp of Approval for The Azraq School

Over the last 6 months, The Syria Fund team has been working with the Jordanian government to register The Azraq School as an approved education program within the Official Jordan Response Plan to the Refugee Crisis. We received approvals from the local ministry of commerce in Zarqa Governorate (the governorate for Azraq), the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Education, and finally the Prime Minister’s Office! These approvals will allow us to expand the program, hire more teachers and serve more students, and benefit from the resources and support from the Ministry of Education. Since the program is a joint project with our local partner SAWA, registration will also enhance their capacity to serve the community of Azraq. We are so proud to share with you this exciting development!

A New School with MECI for 150 Kids

TSF Director Lexi signed on the dotted line this month to collaborate on a new education program with our longtime partner the Middle East Children’s Institute (MECI). We’ll work with MECI to bring their proven remedial education and psychosocial support curriculum to 150 vulnerable children in Northern Jordan. We look forward to launching this program in the coming months and expanding our mission of making sure every child has the education they deserve! Special thanks to the Kathryn B. McQuade Foundation, the Giuliani Foundation for the Arts, Travel with Purpose, Students for Refugees and the many individuals who donated to bring this program to life!

Songs for Syrians 3rd Annual Music Week

TSF was proud to host S’Cool Sounds Director Nina Stern for the 3rd Annual Songs for Syrians Music Week at The Azraq School! Over the course of a week, students immersed themselves in music and art with courses in recorder, percussion, singing (in Arabic and English!), and drawing. The program culminated in a final performance in front of 30+ parents and community members. Music has become an integral part of our school community and our students love to express themselves through the arts! Look out for a video recap in the coming weeks!

A Skype Exchange with Canada

This month, Azraq School students participated in a Skype exchange with students at the Dixon Hall Music Camp in Toronto, Canada. The kids exchanged songs, asked each other questions, and learned about each other’s customs. It was an amazing experience for all! Read more about the exchange HERE in the Toronto Star.

New Programs to Reach Teenagers

In addition to our work with students ages 6-14 at The Azraq School, we are working to expand our efforts to reach other vulnerable groups including teenagers and young adults. The first stage was a percussion club pilot program targeting teenage boys during our music week. High school drop-out rates among Syrians in Jordan are high and several of the boys who participated in this pilot program have completely stopped attending school. Bringing them together around percussion helped them focus on communication, rhythms and concentration - valuable skills they can carry over to other areas in their lives. At the end of the program, the boys had made tremendous progress and were confident enough to successfully perform in front of 30+ community members! Stay tuned for more updates as we expand our presence through The Azraq School to reach teenagers and other community members who need it most!

Thank you for continuing to support The Syria Fund's work to reach vulnerable refugee children and families in Jordan! Everything we do is possible because of your generosity. 

Consider continuing to support our work by setting up a monthly recurring donation today!

Lastly, Follow Us On Facebook to keep up-to-date on our latest activities and goings-on!

With gratitude,

The Syria Fund team

YOUR DONATIONS AT WORK!

From #GivingTuesday to the end of 2017, you donated to bring warm winter essentials to families across Jordan. We've been hard at work putting your money where it matters! Check out all we've done so far.

WINTER COATS FOR KIDS:

On December 21st, we provided winter coat vouchers to 177 children in East Amman.  The voucher program allows the kids and their parents to visit our local vendor to try on their new winter coats, ensuring a good fit and no waiting in line.  The kids were so excited to wear their coats home! 

PAJAMA PARTY:
 

On January 3rd, we brought 160 pairs of warm winter pajamas to students and other children at The Azraq School.  Check out the video of the distribution below:

HEATERS & FUEL VOUCHERS:
 

TSF is distributing heaters and fuel vouchers to families throughout the winter months to ensure their homes are properly heated during the freezing temperatures, rain and snow (but hopefully no bomb cyclones!). 

We're continuing our winter emergency aid efforts through the season. Help support this important work by making a donation today!
 

Thank you for all you do!

With gratitude,
The Syria Fund Team

Thank you for helping make a serious impact this year! In 2017, with your support, we:

• Hosted education programs for 100s of refugee children in Jordan

• Provided enhancement opportunities in music, theater, history and science

• Distributed 1000s of critically-needed essentials like food, hygiene and winter items

• Created jobs for more than 20 Syrians and Jordanians

Check out the video below for some 2017 highlights:

Our programs can't run without your support! 

Let's keep up the good work in 2018. Please consider giving to The Syria Fund as part of your end-of-year giving.

Dear Friends,

The holiday season has arrived! As we gather this week with family and loved ones, we want to thank all of you for the incredible support that you've given to The Syria Fund this year. 

With your generosity, we've given 100s of Syrian refugee children an education for another year, instructing them daily in reading, writing, math, science, music, art and more. We've distributed thousands of food boxes, hygiene kits, and other essential supplies. And we've supported partner programs that reach vulnerable men, women and children across Northern Jordan, giving them the support they need in these difficult times. You made all of this possible! 

Look out in the coming months for our 2017 Annual Report for more details.

Winter Items For #GivingTuesday

Heading into Winter, The Syria Fund is teaming up with our friends at the Collateral Repair Project in Jordan to bring essential winter supplies to families. With below-freezing temperatures, many refugees lack warm clothes and heaters to stay safe and comfortable in the winter months. This #GivingTuesday, will you give $50 to keep a refugee family warm, clothed and fed?

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One coat for a kid: $15
Monthly food voucher for a family of 4: $50
One kerosene space heater: $42
Fuel for the space heater for one month: $15

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MAKE A DONATION TO OUR #GIVINGTUESDAY CAMPAIGN

Your Donations In Action

Hiba's Story:
Hiba lives in a 3-bedroom apartment with ten other people, including her two children. “There are holes on our ceilings and walls, and we can’t even use one of our rooms because the rain comes through,” she says. The war in Syria hit her family especially hard, “We lived near Homs and when the army came they took men and women. The army took my husband to prison where he was tortured and killed.” They have just six blankets for the 11 members of the household, and are extremely grateful for the heater that they just received.

Jamal's Story:
Jamal and his four children left Homs, Syria in 2014. “We didn’t have heating last winter. This is the first time we have received anything,” Jamal said. “We used to live with my brother, but he went to Canada and the heater he left stopped working not long after that. We only had two blankets last winter. It wasn't enough to keep us warm.”

MAKE A DONATION TO OUR #GIVINGTUESDAY CAMPAIGN

It is only with your support that refugees like Hiba and Jamal get the supplies they need! The Syria Fund supports thousands of refugees and other vulnerable families like them across Jordan. 

Thank you for supporting our important work. We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

With gratitude,
The Syria Fund team

Watch: this Spring, The Syria Fund brought two days of music-making fun to Syrian and Jordanian students in Sahab, Jordan. Here, they learn and perform a classic American tune.

The Syria Fund partnered with S'Cool Sounds and the Middle East Children's Institute (MECI) to host two days of music making in Sahab, Jordan. We introduced the classic American tune "hambone" and had the students learn the rhythm and recorder melody, and add their own lyrics! In the end, they performed the piece for family and friends on stage!

Dear Supporters,

Happy October! The TSF team is back from an extremely productive trip in Jordan with tons of updates to share!  Read on to learn more.

New School Year, New Backpacks!

The new school year started in the beginning of September and our students are excited to be back in the classroom! This September, TSF made sure that nearly 500 children had new backpacks filled with essential school supplies to start the year off right. 

Teacher Prep

We held an all-staff meeting at The Azraq School to discuss teaching methods, our new employee handbook and updated contracts. TSF is rolling out new evaluation models this semester, and the teachers are working on establishing committees, student clubs and more.

 

Meetings With Ministries

We're committed to supporting the Jordanian Government's official Refugee Response Plan by ensuring that our programs align with Jordan's key priorities and support host communities. Our team recently spent time with the Ministry of Social Development where we hope to create long-lasting relationships with officials working in our field!

Ongoing Basic Needs Programming

TSF continues our regular work of distributing essential items like food and hygiene products. In September alone, we provided 550 food and hygiene packages to families across Northern Jordan through our partnership with The Annenberg Foundation. We're now gearing up for winter and will be organizing distributions of blankets, heater and warm winter clothes.

 

Collaborating With Public Schools

Jordan is making immense strides to help Syrian children enroll in formal education. In fact, today, nearly all of the students at The Azraq School also attend public school in the afternoons as part of the newly established second-shift system. But there is much work to be done. The second shift is only two hours per day and we know that our students need so much more. That's why we've been collaborating with the local school principal to assess our students' strengths, weaknesses, and places where we can continue to fill in any gaps through The Syria Fund's academic enhancement programs.

Spending Time With The Community

The last month was filled with meetings, contracts, form creations and more. We are thrilled to be starting the new school year off on the right foot and that meant a lot of work! But we made sure to spend quality time with the families we serve as well. Spending time with our community, sharing meals and swapping stories is an essential part of what we do and our relationships get stronger by the day! The families we serve have lost so much over the last 6 years, but they find the strength to carry on through community and family bonds. In that, we find so much hope for the future! 

The end of the year is rapidly approaching and we hope that you'll consider supporting The Syria Fund as part of your end-of-year giving! We're expanding our education programs and continuing our essential basic needs distributions. As always, we're committed to keeping overhead as low as possible to ensure that your donations go exactly where you intend! Please consider making a donation today!

With gratitude,
The Syria Fund team