Village School Student Gives Back to Hometown in Syria

Sarah Aldin conversing with kids who participated in her program. 

Recently, with Syria in the news, many people want to respond to the crisis. One of Village’s students, Sarah Aldin, a junior, has already been aiding the children of Syria by helping kids from her hometown of Rimet Hazem, Syria learn English. 

“I really wanted to make the most of my summer. I worked with Al-Nour Charity Center, a learning center that is located in the village that I am from, Rimet Hazem. The students were excited to learn and were so welcoming. The students are unforgettable and teaching was just an amazing experience in general,” said Sarah. 

The past few summers, she traveled back to Syria with her family. While home, she taught 1st through 5th graders, as well as 7th graders. “I thought that I could use the fact that I am a fluent English speaker and help the students learn. Arabic is my first language, but I am more fluent in English than I am in Arabic. They helped me improve my writing skills in Arabic as I was teaching them,” said Sarah. 

Before she went home this past summer, Sarah opened a “GoFundMe” fundraiser to help her further support the kids. “One night after I came back from the summer of 2015, I was thinking I wanted to do more because of how much these students meant to me and how devoted and determined they are to succeed in school. I wanted to reward them with a present. I thought of something that would be able to help them out in school,” Sarah explained.

Sarah Aldin presenting one of her students with a backpack full of supplies. 

In just a month she raised about $4,000. With the money, she bought backpacks, notebooks, and various school supplies for the elementary and middle school kids. She also bought all of the high schoolers textbooks, since many could not afford them. With the remaining money, she was able to donate to the Ministry of Education of Al-Sweida (the closest major city to Rimet Hazem) to support other schools in the city and the surrounding villages.

In 2017, Sarah plans to open another GoFundMe fundraiser for three months in March so she can continue helping the kids. This year, Sarah wants to provide for more than 350 elementary and middle school kids along with 50 high school kids. She hopes to raise $6,500 to help her achieve this goal. 

“This was a life-changing experience, not only for the kids, but also for myself. It takes a lot of work and isn't something that is easy to complete, but the smile on the child's face when he or she receives the kit is priceless and worth everything. I want to continue to help my country grow and stand by it in its desperate times of need,” said Sarah.