In October 2016, an OFID team and artists from Child of Play traveled to Amman, Jordan, for a series of creative workshops in the Madrasati-supported Al Arqam school. Like many schools in the country, Al Arqam has accommodated an influx of Syrian children, who now account for almost half of the student body. At the … More Yumna from Syria: “Books empower us.”
In recognition of the immense challenges faced by refugees, OFID dedicated 2016, the year of its fortieth anniversary, to highlighting their plight. Against the background that over half of the world’s refugees are children, OFID together with the Child of Play Initiative, launched the Equal Dreams campaign to address the challenges of being a refugee … More “We had a home” – Walid from Syria
Together with her children, Haifaa from Syria has been living at the facilities of Wieder Wohnen in Vienna since March 2016. Haifaa came to Austria to be reunited with her husband, who arrived some months ahead of his family. “When I arrived in Austria, many things were new to me. But I have … More “I have great hope for a better future” – Haifaa from Syria
“I am a refugee, I have endured so much. And I represent just one of the millions of refugees risking their lives in order to reach safety. And even today, they continue to suffer. If there was justice, I would not have gone through what I went through. “My fiancée, who was the love of … More “If there was justice, I would not have gone through what I went through” – Doaa Al Zamel
Nisreen Hijazi is the director of Alramtha School in Jordan. The village of Al-Ramtha is in far northwestern Jordan and is known for its ritual poetries recited at wedding ceremonies. “The girls hear wedding fireworks and think they are bombs. It is 1km away from the Syrian border, which you can see clearly from my … More “If I smile, my girls will too” – Nisreen from Jordan
