Hope for the Alsirafi Family

Organization Image

A nonprofit fundraiser supporting

NuDay
Fundraiser image

They've endured the unthinkable. Now let's reunite this wonderful Syrian refugee family in Canada.

$42,844

raised by 225 people

$50,000 goal

Donations are tax deductible

In  2012, Thuria nearly lost her two young sons when they were badly  injured during street violence  in Syria. Mohannad, who was 6-years old when he was shot, is now 10 and  lives in Boston, Massachusetts to receive medical treatment for his  wounds. His older brother saved his life that day, and talks about their  experience in this video, produced by a Korean  TV show. 



Click here to watch the boys describe the day they were shot by soldiers.


Thuria  is grateful that Mohannad is healing well, but she misses her husband  and five other children, who  are refugees in Jordan. Thuria was pregnant when she arrived in Boston,  and her baby, now four years old, has never met them. Her husband,  Madian, struggles to put food on the table. Prior to the war, Madian  worked in a lab and had a family farm. When  the family left Syria, they lost their farm, their land, and their life  savings.

Because Syrians aren’t legally allowed to work in Jordan, Madian does manual labor, which he takes when he can get it. He has a hernia but can’t afford surgery to repair it. His eldest son, Mohammed, helps his father support the family by working in a factory. He must hide when the police raid the factory.

Mohammad, now 18, is a hero. He was only 13 when he saved his younger brother’s life. During the street battle, Mohammad covered  Mohannad’s body with his own and ducked under a car for safety.

“The car ran over my leg,” said Mohammad. “It broke in three places. A person came and put my brother in an ambulance. I was lying on the ground. Then a soldier came and shot me in the leg.” 

He waited until someone came to put him in an ambulance, too. Even though his own injuries were excruciating, Mohammad was more concerned about his brother. Now recovered, he still feels guilty for not being able to protect Mohannad from harm that day.

 











A picture of their home in Jordan.


The political climate in the USA makes it unlikely that this family will reunite on American soil. That is why those of us who know and love Thuria are raising money to bring her family from Jordan to Canada, where private citizens can sponsor refugees. Bringing them closer together will allow them to visit in person, and one day they can live together in Canada, where refugee-friendly policies make it possible to reunite there.  

We invite you to join us in our fundraising efforts to bring this family together.  We are a committed group of Americans who know Thuria very well.  We have gotten to her know her and her sons in Boston through the resettlement agency that provides assistance to her, and we have been moved by her warmth, her longing for her family in Jordan, and her perseverance through all the difficulties that they have faced. 

Our team includes: Americans Amy Rosenstein, who chairs her synagogue’s efforts to support refugees in the Boston area; Marcy Franck, who volunteered in Greek refugee camps, blogs about refugee issues for the Huffington Post, and is the communications director of a research institute at Harvard University; Rand Chaqmaqchee, who is a case manager at the Refugee and Immigration Assistance Center; and Mohammed Khafif, a friend from Thuria’s mosque and a local business owner.  Stephen Watt and Vania Davidovic, seasoned refugee sponsors in Canada, are guiding us through the process, as is the government-run Refugee Sponsorship Training Program.

Our fundraising goal is $50,000 (in U.S. dollars), based on the $55,200 (in Canadian dollars), which is the amount required by the Canadian government to settle this family for one year.  (We have budgeted extra to allow for changes in the Canadian budget requirements that are anticipated next year). After their first year, with some guidance from their sponsor group, the family will be in a position to support itself.

As they get settled, your donation will cover the Canadian government’s estimates for the cost of living for one year for a family this size.  Here is an estimated breakdown of expenses:

  • Rent for a year: $11,700
  • Food for a year: $10,400
  • Furniture: $4500
  • Clothing: $2875
  • Start-up costs: $12,000
  • Utilities, internet, phone: $7200
  • Other expenses: $6000

Please help us bring this family to Canada—we need your financial support. No amount is too small. 

Every dollar brings us one step toward giving this kind and ambitious family a new start in a country they are looking forward to calling home. Thanks for your support, and your help to spread the word!

Note: We are working hard to secure this family’s future in Canada.  If for some reason they are not able to make it to Canada, the funds will be distributed to the Alsirafi family over a period of time to help them have a more comfortable life in Jordan.  Please don’t hesitate to ask us for more details.   Also, while donating online is prefered, you can  donate by sending a check to NuDay Syria, PO Box 4521, Windham, NH 03087. In the memo line, note in that the funds are for the Thuria Alsirafi fundraiser.






 




This fundraiser supports

organization image

NuDay

Organized By Amy Rosenstein

Giving Activity

Comments

Log in to leave a comment. Log in