The more you give, the happier you will live

From Syria, Damascus; seeking Professional Post Graduate degree in Clinical Pharmacy and is enrolled at Jordan University of Science and Technology.  

“The More You Give the Happier You Will Live”

This was my family’s mantra and I continue to live by it. 

I am a Syrian refugee in Jordan. I need $11,000 to pursue my master's degree in Clinical Pharmacy at Jordan University of Science and Technology in Amman, Jordan. My  cumulative BSc.  average is 90.8. I now need your support to achieve my dream.

My role model was our neighborhood pharmacist who never failed to help when someone needed him. He continued to help others to the last day of his life. He was my inspiration. I decided to continue in his footsteps. 

I came to Jordan in 2012 with my family.  Like many other Syrians, we had to overcome many challenges, financial and psychosocial. We are a family of 5, one sister and three brothers. My father abandoned us five years ago and I was left to provide for my family. We did not live in the camp. My sister already graduated college. She has a degree in Arabic Literature. My younger brother is pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering. My other brother is in high school and the youngest is in second grade. 

I have been working since I was 12 years old. I worked in a supermarket, was an agricultural seasonal worker and eventually worked in a ceramic factory.

I scored 94.4 on my high school diploma and was fortunate enough to get a scholarship from Hayat Fund Foundation to study pharmacy at Al-Ahliya Amman University. I graduated with honors in 2017  and ranked first among my classmates. 

You can say I am a “professional” student. I remember learning English on my own in middle school back in Syria. Teachers were not always able to go over the whole curriculum. I always went back and finished what they did not. I graduated college in 4 not five years, without summer school. I had to work to support my family.

I could be my younger brother’s father and for all I know I really am. He has a long way to go. I am not willing to shortchange his future and definitely not mine. I know I have the determination to succeed. Please be my enablers. I will not fail you.

Why Would Donors Fund You?

I am aware I can give a lot by being a pharmacist. But being a clinical pharmacist allows me to do more. A clinical pharmacist plays an important role in the health care system. He/she is a bridge between the diagnosing physician and the healing process. We make sure  a patient is taking the right drug, taking it the right way while not losing picture of  his other health conditions to prevent contra-indications and/ or harmful impact. In a way he/she are closer and more accessible to their patients.We can also participate more effectively in clinical trials for new drugs,which is what we   need right now to fight COVID-19.

Needless to say, the Middle East region does not have enough clinical pharmacists to satisfy the need. By supporting my education you will contribute to the welfare of whole communities.

How Do You Plan to Payback?

I will not wait to graduate to give back. With the help of edSeed, I can volunteer to train students to join the platform. I can walk them through the steps, make sure they understand the concept of crowdfunding and what it takes to continue to garner their donors’ support. 

I will never forget where I came from and how far I came. I am aware that my journey - like that of many Syrians has not been easy. I helped many fellow students in college. I would build a community center where we can rotate to raise medical awareness about common ailments like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. We can stress nutritional awareness and early detection. We can network with physicians and provide free consultations to the needy. We can be part of a public health policy in our country. The point is to give back. Once the determination is there, a structure will be the easiest to build.

I would like to be able to to help more refugees get a university education. Doing that is a civic duty and responsibility. I plan to establish a foundation I plan to call “Time to Pay Back” using the network I built as a tutor as the nucleus for helping others in need. 

Volunteer Work/Social Capital

As an undergraduate student, I tutored over 20 students  mostly but not exclusively from  at Al-Ahliya University.

I also  volunteered as a translator for medical organizations like SAMS (Syrian American Medical Society )and other non-Arabic speaking doctors  in refugee camps including Zaatri. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I volunteered with Syrians Across  Borders to teach students how to use e-learning platforms.

What Have You Done to Improve Yourself? Awards and Achievements

In 2019, I took an online course at the college of London to be a certified professional trainer. I offered medical and pharmacy students  free courses in Pharmacology and OTC among others.

 I joined the students’ council in the department of pharmacy at my university to be an advocate for students.