Sophomore raises funds for Syrian refugee children

October 4, 2015 — by Caitlyn Chen and Vibha Seshadri

To help Syrian children in need of humanitarian aidsophomore Shania Jafri held a fundraiser on Sept. 23 selling root beer floats at the school to help Syrian refugees.

According to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 7.5 million Syrian children are currently in need of humanitarian aid.

While surfing the Internet, sophomore Shania Jafri came across this staggering statistic and was appalled that children just like her were lacking simple rights, such as education and proper housing.

To help, Jafri held a fundraiser on Sept. 23 selling root beer floats at the school to help Syrian refugees. Her friends, sophomores Sahana Sarin, Zona Liao, Sofia Chadwick and Charin Park, helped her to plan and execute the event.

Jafri decided to hold the fundraiser because she wanted to do her part to ensure that every child has the right to education and other resources, just as she does.

“We wanted to donate specifically to children because they have so much potential,” Jafri said.

The Syrian Civil War has been raging since March 2011. As a result, more than 200,000 Syrians have died and 11 million more have been displaced in countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, according to the BBC.  

“It's so unfortunate that these people have to be kicked out of their own homes because the war has destroyed and torn apart families,” Jafri said.

Jafri and her friends hoped to contribute at least $200, an amount they were unsure they would even get close to raising. Two Hundred dollars is enough to feed a Syrian child for six weeks. In the end, the girls raised around $178, and were ecstatic that they came close to their $200 goal.

The money raised will go to ASB, who will verify the funds and donate it to Save the Children.

It’s not much, but it’s something,” Jafri said. “Not many people here are raising awareness for Syrian refugees, so [I thought] why not I do it?”

Moreover, Jafri said that the out of the millions of refugees trying to leave Syria, the United States is allowing 10,000 or so refugees. Jafri, appalled by the situation, wanted to take action and help Syrian children in any way possible.

“I can’t show my hospitality to them, [so] the least I can do is just donate to them,” Jafri said.

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