Helping Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Jordan

In July 2013, I took part in an amazing journey to Jordan to give financial assistance to Palestinian and Syrian refugees. I raised money from friends and family and set off with 10 other friends from Dubai, where I was living at the time. Below is an account of our two days in Jordan. 

Day 1 - Friday 19 July 2013: We set off in the morning for Mafraq, a small town 80km north of Amman to distribute donations to widows, single mothers and orphans who have fled Syria since the uprising began in 2011. Close to the Syrian border, Mafraq is one of the poorest parts of Jordan. Although its population is 70,000 strong, it now had over 100,000 Syrian refugees. 

We arrived at a community hall where the Jordanian Association for Orphans and Widows Care had pre-selected 250 Syrian women to receive donations. We gave each woman a sealed envelope with 50 Jordanian dinars (enough to live on for 2 months). We then made our way to a small village called Turrah. It is 3km from the Syrian border. A local NGO invited a group of Syrian men and women to receive donations from us. Aid agencies and UN did not reach this very remote village. The money that we gave out was the first donation of any kind that they received. 

Aided by local volunteers, we made a number of home visits to Syrian refugees to give out donations. They were living in extremely overcrowded conditions. For example, we visited two families of 14 people who were sharing a two-bedroom flat. There were no beds - just mattresses lying on the floor. Local Jordanians accommodated Syrian refugees by sub-letting rooms in their homes or building makeshift extensions. Most people had arrived from Syria within the last few months. 

We made a stop at the open border between Syria and Jordan in the village of Turrah. It was guarded by Jordanian army. In the distance, you could see Syria. Minarets and domes of mosques and buildings were clearly visible. It was a surreal moment for me. I was in Syria back in 2000 learning Arabic and it has a special place in my heart.

Day 2 - Saturday 20 July 2013: We made our way to Jerash Gaza camp, which had 40,000 people living in it within one square kilometre. It was set up in 1967 and successive generations have been born and raised there. Palestinians living in this camp had no official status. They did not have identity cards and therefore not considered to be citizens. They could not access health, education or any other services. Their existence was very much as second class citizens.

Our first stop was at the Jerash children's nursery which was run by volunteers. Children were aged between four and eight. I spoke to one volunteer who taught them English so that they could learn to use the internet and be exposed to the outside world. We gave an envelope with a donation to 50 children as gift for the upcoming eid ul fitr.

We then visited the Green Crescent Society, a charity that runs a number of projects in the camp. Khaled Abdullah, the General Manager explained that the two key priorities for their projects were health and education. Palestinians living in the camp could tolerate poverty and lack of food, but serious illness often proved much more difficult to handle. We were told that an individual died in the past 10 days because of a lack of proper medical treatment. Education was important because it gave them hope that they could break out of the cycle of poverty and destitution.

Khaled Abdullah outlined a number of projects where they needed funds. We chose three projects to help with our donations. First, a home nursing project which had six nurses visiting homes in groups of two. Second, a number of students needed to pay off their outstanding university fees so that they could graduate and receive their certificates. They had been working in fruit and vegetable stalls or doing unskilled jobs, because they had not officially graduated. Finally, a project to support orphans.

Our final stop was at a community hall where the Green Crescent Society had invited 400 men, women and a substantial number of students to receive donations from us. They were the most needy in the camp. I sat in the audience and engaged with a number of students.

Ahmed Sa'ad recently finished school and was looking forward to starting university in September to study business and IT. Husam Muhammad, a local Imam was studying Shari'ah at university. Mus'ab Al-Kurdi was in third year of university studying Arabic language and literature. They were intelligent young men and very humble at the same time. They were driven by ambition, but paying tuition fees was a constant worry for them.

After distributing cash donations in the community hall, we returned to Amman.I left Amman for Dubai on Saturday 20 July 2013 at night having spent two incredible days in Jordan. Three of our friends stayed behind. They visited a camp for Syrians of Palestinian origin on Sunday 21 July 2013. These were Palestinian refugees in Syria and had now become refugees for the second time in Jordan. They also visited a camp for undocumented Syrian refugees - they were not registered by the UN's refugee agency and as such had no official status as refugees in Jordan. 

Syrian children

Nursery in Jerash Gaza Camp

Nursery kid in Jerash Gaza Camp

Jerash Gaza Camp

Jerash Gaza Camp

Introduction (My Journey to the Blue Mountains)

My journey to the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India began in earnest on the morning of 24 January 2010 from Coimbatore. That was the last stop where 36 International Climate Champions (ICCs) from 10 different countries gathered. We were split into four different groups representing four native tribes from the Nilgiris – Toda, Kota, Irula and Kurumba. I was chosen by my tribe, the Kurumbas, to be leader. We had to work together in our teams to present our learning and findings at the end of our week-long stay in the blue mountains. Although the tribes were symbolic, it infused in me a feeling of belonging to a native tribe of the Nilgiris. It was as if I set off on a journey to learn about how the changing climate in the mountains is impacting on my people.

Our three buses, which became our permanent travel companions, began travelling up the winding roads in the mountains. Our driver, having negotiated a number of hairpin bends in a manner that even Lewis Hamilton would have been proud of, took us to our initial stop. We saw the remains of landslides that had been inflicted on the Nilgiris in November 2009. These killed scores of people and destroyed the natural habitat of fauna. 60% of these landslides were due to irresponsible human activities such as deforestation and illegal construction of property.

Our buses continued on what at times seemed a rather frighteningly precipitous route, so much so that I may as well have been on a ski lift. Our destination was Coonoor, 1800m above sea level. During the journey, I thought about the sheer loss of human life and the impact on wildlife as a result of these devastating landslides. Later that afternoon, my thoughts resonated with the District Collector of the Nilgiris, Mr Anandrao Patil. He talked about the landslides in his keynote address during the inauguration ceremony of the ICC Annual Field Camp. He also spoke fervently about the beauty of the Nilgiris and the need to preserve it. His words provided inspiration and set the scene for my week-long stay in the lush greenery of the blue mountains.

The inauguration ceremony featured a prayer by indigenous Toda women and a fire lighting ritual by two Toda boys that provided me with a warm welcome in every sense. After the formalities, I spoke to members of a local Toda self-help group who provide jobs to tribeswomen making handicrafts and hand-woven garments. In typical tourist fashion, I felt inclined to purchase a shawl from them, not to suggest that it was in any way a regrettable purchase; its Toda patterns and colours sure to stand out in my abode.

Seeing me in traditional Toda attire, my fellow champions jokingly questioned my loyalty to my own tribe, Kurumba. I was expressing solidarity not only with Todas but all the native tribes of the mountains. There is much that we could learn from the rich cultures and traditions of indigenous people who have been living in and preserving the mountain ecosystem for centuries. This was a recurrent theme throughout my camp, which I will return to later.

In this blog, I have captured some of my observations and highlights of my journey through the Nilgiris.

Virgin Forest (My Journey to the Blue Mountains)

A trek through the Longwood Shola Forest in the Kotagiri hill station marked the perfect start to my Nilgiris expedition. A major source of pure water to the people of Kotagiri, the virgin forest is protected by the Logwood Shola Watchdog Committee. I met some committee members before my trek. Among them was a valiant young man who had been savaged by a wild bison, but was now back helping to protect the forest after a long period of rehabilitation in hospital. I was amazed to see their commitment as well as the affection with which they held the shola forest.

I was struck by the calm and serenity as I made my way into the forest. Undeterred by the threat of leeches, I walked leisurely along the picturesque trekking path with other fellow champions. We kept quiet so as not to disturb or threaten the wildlife, stopping occasionally to learn about endemic species of flora. The rhododendron nilgiricum, for example, is a natural fire-fighter because of its high tolerance to heat, and its propensity to thwart the spread of wild-fires.

The canopy formed by thick, verdant green trees standing tall was like a shield protecting the many species of flora and fauna inside the forest. Direct sunlight is harmful to shola trees which thrive on moist soil. The canopy also traps rain water creating a cool, idyllic climatic condition inside the forest. The temperature remains the same at all times irrespective of the weather outside illustrating the delicate eco-system that operates in Longwood Shola.

This beautiful virgin forest was not without its problems. Locals started cutting down shola trees to replace them with tea plantations until the early twentieth century when Baylim Brook, a British gentleman, came to the forest’s rescue. He realised its indispensable role in providing pure water to the area and stopped the widespread deforestation. It was a humbling experience to stop by his bungalow situated in the middle of the forest.

I pondered about the modern day problems of deforestation. One and a half acres of rainforest are lost every second. Trees absorb greenhouse gases that fuel global warming and fewer forests means that larger amount of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere.

I moved on quickly crossing small streams and felled tree trunks, slowly getting used to the moisture seeping through my boots; its squelch soon enough reaching a rhythmic tandem with the rest of the trekkers. I stopped with my fellow champions and sat under the shade of sun-dappled trees for a moment’s reflection. Having been informed that animals such as elephants use their powerful sense of smell and hearing rather than their sight for survival, I decided to shut my eyes to see if I could empathise. Whilst I cannot say that I could have escaped had a predator emerged out of the shrubberies, I can confess to feeling at one with mother nature in that moment. The morning breeze whistled around trunks and flirted with leaves, whilst an ostentation of birds could be heard serenading us with the most beautiful of tunes.

John Sullivan Memorial (My Journey to the Blue Mountains)

John Sullivan, an eminent British civil servant, is widely recognised as the founder of the Nilgiris. As I write about my visit to his memorial, I am reminded of an interesting debate that I had with my Indian counterparts about the legacy of the British Raj. Opinions were divided with some arguing that India would have been better off without Britain colonising it, while others disagreed. Ayan and Sundeep argued passionately that India benefited immensely from the Raj and that the British left at the right time. Whatever the merits of both schools of thought may be, nowhere was the legacy of the British more evident than here in the Nilgiris. From Brook to Sullivan, the work that they had done to preserve the beautiful Nilgiris is well documented. The locals refer to them affectionately as the Britishers.

John Sullivan established India’s first ever hill station in Ooty, known as the Scotland of the East for its stunning mountainous landscape and cool weather. His story is awe-inspiring for he worked tirelessly to secure land rights and cultural recognition of the Nilgiris’ native tribes. He was punished financially and socially for his efforts by the British Government. As a British civil servant from his native city London, I was proud to find some similarities with such a great man.

It was also easy to see why John Sullivan won a special place in the hearts of locals such as Dr Venugopal, who runs the Nilgiri Documentation Centre. He was instrumental in ‘Save the Nilgiris Campaign’ which began in the eighties. His organisation jointly arranged the ICC Annual Field Camp in the Nilgiris. Standing in front of the memorial, I reflected on the past represented by John Sullivan and the present by Dr Venugopal; their love for the Nilgiris inspired them to conserve it so that others could also appreciate its beauty. Oliver Wendell, an American poet, once said, ‘Historic continuity with the past is not a duty, it is only a necessity’. I was left wondering who will carry on this work going forward – work that needs to be driven by necessity more than anything else. My thoughts about the future were soon interrupted by a party of children from a nearby school. Their youthful vivacity inspired in me hope that one day one of them could carry on this project.

My encounter with these schoolchildren was one of the highlights of my trip. They were intelligent, articulate and very knowledgeable about how climate change is affecting the Nilgiris. Predominantly from the Badaga tribe, they told me about their annual Hetthai festival. They also related to me their first hand experience of the recent landslides. I was captivated by their exuberance and youthful curiosity so much so that I spent my entire time at the memorial talking to them. Ayan, Sohini and Colin joined me in the following discourse, which involved thoughtful questions from the children ranging from climate justice to global warming. Their concern for the Nilgiris and the world at large was evident and I remember coming away confident that the Nilgiris will indeed be in safe hands when these children grow up.

'Read all about it' (My Journey to the Blue Mountains)

There were many presentations from various experts during the camp. The one that stands out for me the most was delivered by a journalist, Mr Edwin David. He works for The Local newspaper which has as its strap line, ‘A unique perspective of the Nilgiris’. It was not just his interactive style of delivery, but also his first hand experience of the Nilgiris and the stories that he shared with us which made it so special.

Mr David gave an insight into the fundamentals of what makes a newsworthy story. This was pertinent for us climate champions as we have a story to tell. At schools, university campuses and local communities, young champions are pursuing projects to mitigate and combat climate change. From the conservation of a forest in Bangladesh to encouraging a move from plastic bag usage to fabric bags in Libya, ICC projects are making a difference on the ground all over the world. This social movement of young people needs to reach out to a wide audience.

Mr David shared a story of two poachers who between them killed 300 elephants. He showed a picture of an elephant that was ruthlessly hacked down. The image was shocking but it brought home the reality of wild animals being slaughtered recklessly for their hide, meat and ivory. He recently met the two poachers who began life by collecting wood in the forest and then moved onto killing elephants when the need to earn more money arose. This revealed wider socio-economical problems of poverty and lack of education which often lead such poachers into this illegal trade.

Throughout his presentation, Mr David spoke passionately and ably conveyed the message that there is a journalist in all of us. My story to address climate change may inspire others if I pick up the pen and write about my efforts. My project is to work with British Bangladeshi youth raising their awareness and inspiring them to take action about Bangladesh as reportedly the ‘ground zero’ of climate change. It is predicted that by 2050, 17% of Bangladesh will disappear under water displacing at least 20 million people.

Tribal Knowledge (My Journey to the Blue Mountains)

My curiosity to learn about the Nilgiris’ native tribes began when I symbolically became a member of the Kurumba tribe. I got the opportunity to speak to Badaga children and Toda women early into my journey. This increased my thirst to find out more. A presentation by Dr Tarun Chhabra gave me a fascinating insight into how the Toda tribe respect and conserve the mountain ecosystem.

His talk on the importance of traditional ecological knowledge addressing global climate change triggered an intriguing debate. With the advent of globalisation, we are moving towards a mono-culture whereby neighbourhoods are losing their uniqueness; some symptoms being the likes of KFC and McDonalds springing up, and bill-boards advertising major multi-national companies like Coca-Cola. This brings with it the danger of losing the inimitable legacy that has shaped cultures and traditions over generations. Dr Chhabra was adamant not to lose the traditional Toda knowledge under the guise of so called civilisation. A dentist by profession, he spends his weekends and spare time studying and recording the Toda way of life. No doubt his work will inform and inspire a generation to incorporate this traditional knowledge into the mainstream.

Todas hold natural landmarks in varying degrees of sanctity and chant the names of nearby peaks, hills, streams, valleys and so forth in their prayer. The Nilgiri peak is one of the most sacred landmarks. An annual ritual prayer is said on a hilltop for normal climatic conditions. This shows their intrinsic connection with nature. Although the total Toda population is very small i.e. around 1000, their practices and customs are of immense value in understanding how to conserve the Nilgiris.

After a visit to the Tribal Research Centre to learn about different native tribes from the Nilgiris, I stopped at a Toda mund or a hamlet. Each hamlet typically consists of five huts where the inhabitants are generally related. I got a rare chance to go inside a Toda hut. An oval shaped construction like a half barrel; these huts are a work of art. They are made from a combination of bamboo, thatch and rattan. They have a very small entrance as a means of protecting against wildlife. The arrangements inside the hut were basic. Todas live a simple life, and I realised that sometimes it is simplicity that is the forebearer of wisdom and the producer of knowledge.

Fold Mountains (My Journey to the Blue Mountains)

Mukurthi National Park is a wildlife sanctuary which is not open to members of the public. British Council arranged a special permit from the Forest Department for us climate champions. Far from the madding crowd, this place of outstanding natural beauty was almost too perfect. I began trekking through the winding road with mountains towering above me on either side. If my eyes were the canvass, then I can profess that the scenery around me was the art. The shola grasslands and thickets were a majestic sight; the gaps and hues in the greenery trapping the rays of the morning sunlight and refracting it into a flurry of sparkling rainbow butterflies.

A fellow champion remarked that it was as if we were walking to the middle of the earth; somewhere so surreal and heavenly. We stopped at a vantage point with a panoramic view of the fold mountains down below. Formed like the protruding waves of a placid ocean, the mountains were truly the elixir of life in these parts. Words could not do justice to nature’s glorious splendour, and that is why we all sat there speechless taking in the breathtaking scenery. Soon the clouds hovered above casting their shade on the mountains - a sign that my rendezvous with the fold mountains came to an end and that I had to trek back.

Safari in Mudumalai (My Journey to the Blue Mountains)

I had an eventful day at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve which included a visit to the Indian Institute of Science and a talk by the Field Director. What I was looking forward to the most was an early morning safari on the morrow. I wanted to meet a tiger but I knew that my chances were slim. Mr Jayaprakash, a wildlife photographer and academic, spotted a tiger after some sixty treks. He explained the different species of wildlife that I could expect to see in my safari.

At the crack of dawn, I set off with my fellow champions. We took a bus through the rugged road in the forest. Apart from the occasional bird chirping, there was utter silence. Trees stood still like statues, leaves didn’t dare to fall, lest the earth be disturbed in its slumber. The only sound that could be heard was one of excitement and delight from the bus as we saw spotted and sambar deer, peacocks and a herd of wild elephants. My colleagues clicked away with their cameras. I simply sat there and soaked in the living museum.

'The Great Nilgiris Robbery' (My Journey to the Blue Mountains)

I suggested to my team members at our first tribal meeting that we should do something different for our final day presentation. We wanted to display our creativity and innovation - something that the audience would enjoy and remember. Once the idea of performing a skit was conceived, all that remained was hard work, commitment and determination.

After many late night meetings and long mind mapping exercises, we arrived at ‘The Great Nilgiris’ Robbery’ – a skit that would portray the Nilgiris’ past, present and the future through the eyes of the Kurumba tribe. We rehearsed enacting the past when the blue mountains were unadulterated with its wildlife and vegetation in peaceful coexistence. The transition to present day was marked with deforestation, illegal hunting of animals, irresponsible tourism and landslides as humans took ownership of the Nilgiris. The final part of the skit would then show climate champions offering solutions to these problems going into the future.

Nilgiri would tell her own story through a monologue read backstage and the different phases in her history would be enacted on stage.

Working with my team members was indeed the highlight of my trip. I built a special rapport with them and felt inspired by their ideas and creative thinking. I was very much looking forward to performing the skit with them on the final day.