Jasmine Project

We are four Syrian women, living in Melbourne and want your help to raise funds to support a group of children in Damascus.
We know 2020 was a difficult year for everyone in Australia and we understand if you can’t help us right now, you might still be interested in learning a little more about life in Syria today.
We are devastated by the current situation and while Syrians throughout the country are struggling to access the basics we have a personal link to the St Paul’s Catholic Church childcare centre, and know the challenges it is facing to deliver much needed community services.
We are connected through our friend Carolin who has cherished memories of her childhood spent with the nuns, and her friends at St Paul’s. She remains in touch with the nuns to this day.
The St Paul’s Catholic Church provides childcare to approximately 150 children aged (3 – 6) years old, and more recently mental health programs to 100 children aged between (6 – 13) years old.
Franciscan friars and nuns operate the programs from St Paul’s Catholic Church, a significant holy site for Christians. Children of all religions are welcomed at the centre which usually opens at the beginning of September but was delayed this year due to a lack of funds.
US sanctions, COVID 19, ten years of conflict have combined to end the flow of donations that fund the children’s programs. This situation is unlikely to be resolved soon yet many Syrians find themselves in desperate circumstances. In July 2020, Mark Lowcock, UN Relief Chief, described the humanitarian situation in Syria, “unemployment is close to 50 per cent, compared with 42 per cent last year and food prices are 240 per cent higher than in June 2019. 9.3 million people in Syria are living with food insecurity – with over two million more, at risk of joining them” (UN News, 29 July 2020). We know that many internally displaced Syrians have sought refuge in Damascus putting added pressure on the city’s infrastructure and services.
More information regarding the situation in Damascus and the Franciscan friars of the Custody of the Holy Land emergency relief work at St Paul’s can be found at https://www.proterrasancta.org/project/en/syria-damascus-the-emergency-centre/. Our fundraising will be directed specifically to the childcare centre which operates at the same site as the emergency relief. The Australian-Syrian charity which supports Syrian refugees to settle in Melbourne has agreed to arrange the transfer of monies to Damascus. You can find out more about the charity at https://australiansyriancharity.org.au/.
As well as a safe, comforting and happy setting for children to learn, socialise and heal the St Paul’s Catholic Church childcare centre helps families where it can in other ways with items such as food baskets and medications.
To continue providing this valuable service to children and young people in 2021 the centre needs our help. Any donation is welcome. In Syria, AUD$50 would buy a school bag, shoes, tracksuit and art smock, books, stationery, arts and crafts supplies for one child.