Disaster Response Jordan Project #28531

Help Us Educate Syrian Refugees in the Middle East

by Libraries Without Borders

Project Report | Dec 18, 2017
Update: Helping Syrian Refugees in the Middle East

By Katherine Trujillo | Director of Communications and Advocacy

As you know, over 11 million people have died or fleed from Syria as a result of this protracted humanitarian crisis. In an effort to address this situation, Libraries Without Borders has partnered with a number of international aid organizations in the Middle East to support refugees who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria. Through the Ideas Box, we have provided Syrian refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon & Iraq a place where they can learn new, practicable skills as well as escape the trauma they have endured through literature, art, and a number of cultural activities. These opportunities are particularly important for the 2.5 million children who have been out of school since the conflict began 6 years ago.

Through our Ideas Box programs in the Middle East, we offer workshops and activities customized to address the complex mental health needs of adults and children, which if left untreated could yield far-reaching, intergenerational impacts, including learning difficulties & depression. In addition to facilitated programs, the Ideas Box itself offers a safe & dynamic space where refugees can engage in creative techniques such as drawing, reading, writing, storytelling & unstructured play, which build resilience, encourage healing after trauma & promote improved psychological well-being & social functioning.

Despite instability in the region, we are committed to expanding upon our work in the Middle East, especially so that we may address the wide-ranging needs of the Syrian refugee population. We thank you for your continued support!

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Sep 18, 2017
Update on BSF's Support for Syrian Refugees

By Katherine Karmen Trujillo | Director of Communications & Advocacy

To date, millions of Syrians have been displaced and hundreds of thousands have been killed, including over 750 medical personnel. In the midst of protracted violence, the deaths of these medical workers has heightened the need for doctors and nurses throughout Syria.

With no end to the conflict in sight, a group of former professors from Aleppo University established the Free Aleppo University in 2015. They sought to create an alternative institution where students could pursue their studies despite the conflict, which is now in its seventh year. At FAU, medical students have been relegated to taking classes underground to evade daily bombings and raids. Despite these harrowing circumstances, there are nearly 500 students enrolled in the University, committed to providing the people of Aleppo with desperately-needed medical care.

Given the difficult realities of everyday life at FAU, a group of Yale Medical School students designed an initiative to support their Syrian counterparts. They seek to provide these aspiring medical professionals with digital medical libraries replete with the textbooks, tutorials and other electronic resources that are fundamental to a medical school education. As a result, Yale Medical School students reached out to Libraries Without Borders (Bibliothèques Sans Frontières) in an effort to leverage the organization’s expertise in providing educational opportunities in emergency settings.

Earlier this year, Libraries Without Borders launched a Global Giving campaign to support the Yale Medical School students in this endeavor. We are pleased to announce this campaign raised $5,290!

Without your financial contribution, we would not have achieved this feat. Thank you for your generosity!

In the aftermath of this successful fundraiser, Libraries Without Borders will proudly present the funds raised through this campaign to the committed students at Yale Medical School, who are collaborating with humanitarian aid organizations on-the-ground to determine the best method for transporting and distributing the digital medical libraries in Syria. Going forward, Libraries Without Borders is eager to support Yale Medical School students in their efforts to empower Syrian students with the tools they need to rebuild the country once peace is achieved.

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