Students revel in charitable endeavor

DAMASCUS－During the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a group of young Syrian men and women have come together to prepare food parcels and distribute them to the poor families in the war-torn country. Calling themselves the Amerha Team, or Build It, the volunteers are all current university students or freshly graduated.

In the warehouse where these volunteers work, around 20 of them, all wearing masks and gloves, energetically pack up the food received from the retailers.

The Amerha Team, which has gathered about 200 young people, distribute food parcels every year during Ramadan. This year, the team aims to distribute 2,000 food parcels.

Muhammad Batha, one of the volunteers who is preparing for a master's degree, says he has been working with the team for two years.

Throughout the campaign, Batha and his teammates have been more aware of the need to help, and have not been indifferent to the suffering of others.

"We aim to help people," says Batha. "This humanitarian work is what motivates us and brings us together to help amid the heat and the coronavirus crisis."

The architectural engineer says that the volunteer work has taught him how to give without taking anything in return.

Sedra al-Adas, a 20-year-old law school student, who's been working with the team for a year and a half, says that she and her friends have come to understand the importance of charity and volunteering, as the long-running Syrian war and the ongoing coronavirus outbreak have left large numbers of households in need.

"It feels so good when you help someone and see the joy in their eyes," she explains.

Her friend, Marah al-Zain, a 21-year-old Arabic literature student, adds that the smile people have upon receiving help has given her an unmatched sense of fulfillment.

"During this time, we are helping those who are really in need of it," she says.

Muhammad Fatairy, one of the team's supervisors, points out that the growing need among the poor segments of society, including children, is what motivates them into action.

"This week and next week, we plan to reach 1,000 Syrian families and during the rest of Ramadan to reach another 1,000," he says.

Xinhua