Dear Blossom Hill Family, 

I just came back from a physically and emotionally draining but incredibly inspiring trip visiting our programs on the ground in Jordan.

My first stop was the Azraq Education and Community Center run by Blossom Hill Fellow Lexi Shereshewsky for refugees in rural South Azraq. Over three days, I heard stories from children, parents, and teachers alike about how our support has changed the very fabric of life in this small refugee town. In what is a desert enclave with the sun beating at 104 degrees, the center is its oasis.

It provides over 300 children, including the youngest preschoolers, access to our Montessori-inspired early childhood education and a K-10 academic enhancement program. But it is also the very lifeline to the entire community. Parents and community leaders gather at the center to brainstorm how they can further develop the economic infrastructure of their town and improve the lives of resettled refugees who are largely from Syria. 

I also paid a visit to our programs in Amman where we run SuperGirls, a girls empowerment initiative, and Sports for All, which promotes social inclusion through the love of sports. The level of poverty and need is dire for refugees living in a big city and the challenges they face are that much harder. But the children in our programs are thriving and feeling positive about their future.

I came back with a clearer understanding of the daily challenges these children face, their dreams, and what they need in order to pursue them. I also saw up close just how much your impact matters. Without your support, these children would not be uplifted by the programs our Fellows are implementing.