An Abu Dhabi-based UN employee is getting set to tackle Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise vital funds for Syrian refugee children.
Egyptian Canadian national Ayat El-Dewary, who works as an external relations associate in the capital for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), plans to conquer the 5,895m African peak next month to support the thousands of displaced youngsters from war-torn Syria.
“I’m doing the impossible,” said El-Dewary. “The training is rigorous but my biggest motivation is the amazing cause.”
El-Dewary’s climb will raise donations for the Big Heart Campaign, an organisation set up by Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of HH Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah.
“The goal is to try to raise as much awareness as possible about the plight of the Syrian refugee children,” she added. “Whenever I question what I’m doing, I just think about these children and what they’ve suffered.”
An estimated 1.2 million Syrian children are registered as refugees with UNHCR. Of these, about three quarters are under 12 years old, while one in ten children are the bread winners for their families. Recent statistics have also shown that more than half of these children are not in school.
The Big Heart Campaign has raised over $13 million, which has helped them provide support to Syrian refugee families both inside Syria and in host countries Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. Donations are used to establish health projects, offer education, and donate core relief items during the harsh winter months.
El-Dewary’s initial goal is to raise $10,000 but she plans to continue to raise funds for the cause after her climb. To find out more about El-Dewary’s progress or to donate, visit www.justgiving.com/ayat-el-dewary
