June 20, 2019

We had a half day at the refugee camp today. Afterwards, we met with the group at a nearby camp (Moria) to check out the organizations Stand by Me and One Happy Family. Stand by Me is a small organization run by a compassionate headmaster. Here, they provide schooling and lessons to refugees from the camp, as well as certificates upon completion. Every part of this school was built alongside volunteers with the funds coming from generous friends. The lessons here range from English to guitar to computers. One of the things that the founder had said that stood out tom e was that when he had learned of the refugee crisis, he asked himself what he was good at and what skills he could provide that would help. Thus, as a headmaster, he opened a school. This really got me thinking because many people think there are only certain skills or positions that are helpful in addressing an issue, but that's not the case. If we all maximize our skills and potential and apply them, then many gaps would be filled.

The last place we visited was One Happy Family, which is right across the street from the camp we volunteer at. One Happy Family had a similar feel to Stand by Me, but at a larger scale. Here, they had things like an outdoor gym, a woodwork shop, a hookah lounge, a media class, a kids space, a women space, and a dining hall. It was full of endless ways for people to connect and feel safe. They even had a banking system with their own currency to provide people with a sense of independence. One of the coolest parts about this organization is the fact that they built about 95% of it completely on their own, which is similar to what the other organization had done.
Sign outside of Stand By Me

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