I want to be a translator: a bridge between the cultures of the world and my own.

Syrian, from Irbid; seeking Undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature and is enrolled at Zarqa University.  

I am Amna Abu Kharroub, 19 years old from Daraa, Syria. I live with my mother and brother in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.

My father died of cancer. We left Daraa when life became unbearable.

My family had a passion for learning. Five of my sisters have university degrees: law, sociology, French literature, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and physical education. My older brother has double-major: psychology and music.

My mother was the force behind our passion for learning. My father was out of work due to an injury that put him on disability. My mother taught carpet weaving to women in our hometown. She was the breadwinner of my family. It is in her honor that I will be seeking a university degree.

I failed my geography exam last year because I am not cut to learn by heart. I had a dream: to become a pharmacist and invent a cure for cancer. Unfortunately, I fell sick in Junior high and was hospitalized. I could not continue my senior year of high school in the sciences and had to transfer to the literary track.

By choosing English as my major, I can translate and teach. Arabs are consumers not producers of knowledge; we need to translate this knowledge from to Arabic. My skills will be in high demand.

I already read Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, among others. Reading allows me to learn about other cultures, without leaving my place. I will travel to these places when the camp doors open. Your help is my ticket to the world.

Why Would Donors Fund You?

Like many of my peers, our generation was robbed of its future. I and them need to heal. I was raised to believe that education is a right . Little did I know that our right to life in dignity and free from poverty would be challenged. The gift of education is a gift that will bloom forever. I have discipline, determination, vision  and a lot of hope. I can think outside the box and do miracles with the little I have. 

I want to be given the chance to prove that I am worthy of support. 

How Do You Plan to Payback?

I want to help my community.  Mastering English is one of the most important skills that would open the way to many opportunities in different fields of life.

I am very excited at the prospects of enrolling in a university. I am ready to face this challenge because I know  I have a passion for learning  and the will to achieve.

I hope to be part of this grant because if I do not get this opportunity I will not be able to complete my university degree because I do not have the money to complete my education at my own expense

Pursuing my education will allow me to improve myself, help my family and my community, especially children.

Most importantly, it will allow me to help myself overcome the difficulties we face in living in the camp.

I hope I will be able to pursue graduate studies eventually.

I know my dreams are big but I have the will and the skills to pursue them with your hel

Volunteer Work/Social Capital

·  I teach 4 boys and 16 girls  between the ages of 8 and 15 English, Arabic and math.

·  I participated in RELIEF international creativity competition. Students were encouraged to think of projects to improve living conditions of camp residents.  I proposed to build rubber speed bumps to alert truck drivers to the presence of pedestrians. Children were particularly at risk. They were run over by truck drivers so did women and men. My project was chosen  and slotted for implementation. I was able to save many lives.

·  I tutored many students in English  during the COVID 19 lockdown to help them pass their finals.

·  I was one of Project Turquoise’s group when they visited Zaatari in 2017.

·  I trained 8 students in Zaatari to register on edSeed's Dashboard and helped them enter their information.

What Have You Done to Improve Yourself? Awards and Achievements

·  I completed  many courses including life skills, English, ICDL, entrepreneurship and creativity etc.

·  I read many English novels by British and other world writers. I read Shakespeare and Charles Dickens among others. Reading provides me with the opportunity to learn about other cultures, human experiences and other people's way of life. 

·  I read more than 150 books on different themes.  I entered the  Reading Challenge and ranked among my school mates. 

·  I like photography. I would love to pursue this hobby do not have a camera.