A new Syrian refugee is born every hour, as ‘Big Heart' celebrities lead education fundraiser

Hussein Al Jassmi and other celebrities attend “10 Days To Change The World” event to educate 1.2 million children

UAE, Dubai, 15 February 2014: As the Big Heart Campaign’s ‘10 Days To Change The World’ event continues at Dubai Mall, celebrities such as Hussein Al Jassmi have joined crowds of well-wishers to show solidarity with Syrian children. According to the UN, every hour another Syrian baby is born a refugee, adding to over 1.2 million children who are already in desperate need of education.

Parents are teaching their children to become young humanitarians by bringing them to Dubai Mall to enjoy fun-filled charity activities like face painting and badge making. Adult activities include a ‘Wall of Big Hearts’ where visitors leave emotional messages of peace and hope.

The crowd enjoyed one-on-one interaction and photo moments with their favorite celebrities from diverse fields like music, art, media, sport, fashion, photography and more. Popular musician and humanitarian Hussein Al Jassmi urged fellow celebrities to join him in the Big Heart Campaign, adding: “As a musician I see this event as one beautiful chorus, where everyone comes together as one and works in perfect harmony. We are creating an amazing melody of humanitarianism. This is not just about educating Syrian children, but also educating our own children to help their suffering brothers and sisters.” 

The double tragedy for Syria is that on one hand there is massive ‘brain drain’ as the country’s most educated professionals like doctors flee to seek jobs in other countries; and on the other hand Syria’s brightest students have been uprooted from school, leaving a gaping hole for skilled professionals and graduates.

The fundraiser marks the start of the second phase of the Big Heart Campaign, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, UNHCR Eminent Advocate for Syrian Refugee Children. This phase prioritizes the education of young refugees so they can be empowered to build new lives for themselves despite their impoverished circumstances.

Although 2.4 million Syrian refugees have so far been registered by the UNHCR, the actual number of refugees is much higher. Currently volunteer teachers are doing their best, alongside teachers at government schools where double shifts have been introduced to accommodate refugee students after-hours, when the regular students have left.

The fundraising event at Dubai Mall will continue until February 20th, and members of the public are invited to bring their families for a fun outing that benefits a good cause.

Donors are urgently requested to send funds through ‘Salam Ya Seghar’, endorsed by HH Sheikha Jawaher Al Qasimi (Wife of His Highness, the Ruler of Sharjah and UNHCR Eminent Advocate).

Bank Details:

Account Name: Salam Ya Seghar “For Syrian Refugee Children”
Account Number: 00344 3043 0012
(Kindly write the bank account number behind your cheque)
IBAN: AE5804 100000 3443043 0012

Contact: +971-6-594-1111/15/03

The Executive Office of HH Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi