Dubai residents pack 50,000 back-to-school bags for Syrian refugees

Volunteers assemble the kits to be given to children affected by the Syrian crisis, in Jordan. - KT photo by Dhes Handumon

Thousands of volunteers came together to pack school kits for Syrian children in Jordan refugee camps as part of the Dubai Cares' annual 'Back to School' initiative.
This year's target is to pack 50,000 school kits in four days with the help of over 2,000 volunteers. The target for the first day was to pack 12,500 school bags at the Boom Tourist Village.
Khaleej Times spoke to some of the volunteers, who said education is an essential tool and that providing the Syrian refugee children with support can help them feel that "they are not alone".
Catalina Necula, a visual merchandiser, was taking part in the initiative for the first time. "The children will feel motivated that someone cares about them and that they're not alone. It will help them dream of a future and that they can still make something of their lives. Education is an important thing and it's something you can carry with you your entire life and pass on to your children," she said.
Aurora Benavidez, an accountant, has been volunteering with the initiative for three years. She said education is a tool every human should have access to. "I'm a huge advocator of education, especially for countries that have limited access to education. With no education, it would be a disaster and I hope they get a new beginning," she said. "Education in our family is very important and it should be a right to everyone. In the Philippines, we have a saying that education is the only legacy you can pass on to your children."
Iman Bin Tour Al Marri, a crime scene investigator with Dubai Police, said that the community coming together to help Syrian refugees brings hope to the children. She was volunteering for the initiative as well and hopes her involvement will make a difference.
"I think the situation is very unfortunate, especially for the kids. It will affect their lives but with initiatives like these of having school supplies will really help them," she said.
"For us, having school supplies may seem like a small deal since we have them all year round, but for them, it can make them happy. It will help them learn that people, not just in Dubai, but all over the world are trying to put a smile on their face. Together, we can make an impact on their lives. The diversity here brings everyone together which is for this one cause."
Saira Noor, a logistics coordinator, believes the Syrian refugee children will require "a lot of counselling" because of their tragic experiences.
"Children shouldn't be a part of what's going on but there's no way out. They are stuck in a country, a war zone. They are there with their families so they will be affected by what's going on. The future doesn't look bright at the moment and if it continues for another five or ten years, a whole generation of children will be affected.
"They will have memories of the war and they will miss important tiers of childhood and of their education. Well rounded adults should not be expected in a situation like this. They will need a lot of counselling and emotional support," Noor said.
The CEO of Dubai Cares, Tariq Al Gurg, said the initiative is a very important one because it gives Syrian refugee education tools for education.
"This year's Back to School edition is dedicated to the children who are affected by the Syrian crisis. The initiative is very sensitive because those children are not able to get access to education and some of those who are able to get access, they don't have the adequate tools to get an education, such as bags and notebooks. We are doing our bit in terms of having education programmes to those kids, but we are also involving the UAE community by bringing together volunteers so we can ship the bags to Syrian refugee camps in Jordan," he said.
The school bag consists of notebooks, pencils, erasers and other school supplies. The initiative will run from May 26 to 29 and the kits will be shipped out during Ramadan.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com