Hello! Marhaba! Please meet the Hammada family.
The Hammadas- Mohamed (father), Safa (mother) and their children Mohamed (10 years), Ali (8 years) Elaf (2 1/2 years) and Zakaria (1 year) - fled Idlib, Syria, and were fortunate enough to be granted refugee status a few months ago here in San Diego, California.
All six of them live in a small apartment and are currently depending on very meager public and private non-profit resources to support their new lives here in America. They are a kind and gracious family who have lived through horrors most of us cannot even imagine.
The Hammadas had lived their entire lives in Idlib, Syria, where the current civil war which has ravaged Syria had its roots. Thus, this family has been living the horrors of war since the conflict started more than 5 years ago. When the bombings of their city got extreme, and as they were fleeing, Mohamed's wife and mother of the two oldest boys, Mohamed Jr and Ali, was killed. Mohamed was then left as a single father raising two boys during wartime. You can only imagine the stuggles he endured. He then met Safa and they got married - and she immediately began to raise the boys as her own. Together as a family they moved to many "safer" areas in Syria, but it got to a point that there were no more safe areas for them to live in Syria. They then had to flee Syria and they made it to the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, where they survived together for more than 3 years. Life in the refugee camp was difficult, but they survived. Safa told me most days she was just thankful if they had enough food to feed the children two meals a day.
They have been through unimaginable hardship - niether of the boys have ever been to school, as the war broke out just as Mohamed Jr was starting kindergarten 5 years ago, and they have lived in constant chaos ever since. Both of the boys are beyond excited to now be attending school for the first time here in San Diego and they love their school and classes! They are learning English quickly and are very bright, sweet boys. Both parents are currently taking English classes, and Mohamed is very eager to find a job as soon as possible. His lack of English is a hinderance but he previously worked in construction and is hopeful he can soon find employment. The Hammadas are true survivors, and my hope is that with some help, they cannot only survive but thrive in their new country.
I feel called to help them, as one of my mottos in life has always been "but for the grace of God go I" - I feel like we as Americans have truly won the lottery of life by simply being born where we were - and I feel called to help those who have not been as fortunate. I am asking for your help, too.
Their list of needs is not much - they live very simply and have very few possessions. What they are most in need of for the forseeable future is assistance with their "rent gap" - next month a private rent subsidy they have been receiving will end and they will only have enough money to cover $1,000 of their $1,600 monthly rent. (rent is extremely high in San Diego) Any money I raise for rent will be paid directly to the non-profit SCN (Syrian Community Network) who works with the landlords to pay the rent gap on the refugees behalf. The money will go directly to help pay the Hammadas rent.
