Syrian Kids Foundation
Paraphrased Mission: The Syrian Kids Foundation (SFK) is a Canadian charity founded in 2012 with a mission to provide support and humanitarian relief to Syrian refugees. They provide aid through free education, psychological counselling, recreational activities, and essentials such as housing, medical care, and food. SFK is currently running three flagship programs: the Al Salam School in Reyhanli, Turkey, sponsoring refugees relocation to Canada, and supporting refugees pursuit of higher education. The foundation is committed to give Syrian refugee children the opportunity to reach their full potential by receiving an education.
The OCTW Connection: The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the most pressing and large scale issues facing the world in recent years. There have been over 70.8 million people that have fled Syria in hopes of refuge. I think it is very important to shed light on this conflict as innocent people’s and children’s lives are being affected.
Facts and Figures about the issue: As of 2020, there were over 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees in Turkey. With this number of refugees in Turkey, the country is hosting about 63% of all refugees in the world. These Syrian refugees are being displaced from their home country by violence, persecution, hunger, or human rights violations. A civil war in Syria started in 2011 between the Syrian government and anti-rebel government groups. This has been a major cause of Syrians fleeing the country due to the violence this civil war has created. A majority of the refugees in Turkey are located near the Syria-Turkey border, in the Southeastern part of the country. Currently, only 30% of Syrian refugee children have access to education.
Regional Context: Syria’s neighbor Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a country located between Western Asia and Southeastern Europe. Turkey is currently hosting the major of all Syrian refugees in the world. The capital of Turkey is Istanbul, and it straddles Europe and Asia. Around 75% of Turkey’s population are ethinc Turks.
How to get Involved: SFK’s Al Salam School in Turkey is not fully funded and relies heavily on monetary donations. Anyone can donate through their website, create an online donation campaign, or a fundraiser to ensure the education of a Syrian refugee and shape the future of Syria.