At the end of 2012, Abdelsalam left Syria with his family, leaving behind his home and a handful of memories. His destination? Jordan.
Although tough and extremely challenging, the journey to Jordan was the easiest part of the move. He experienced a huge culture shock — his classmates bullied him to the point where he almost gave up on school. A short while later, his father got into a car accident, paralyzing 70% of his body and rendering him unable to work. Being the oldest among two brothers and a sister, Abdelsalam was forced to step up by leaving school and taking care of his family. He took a job at a restaurant, but it was all downhill from there. Life became meaningless, repetitive until he realized that something had to change. Work alone would never get him to his goals.
Thus the search for a university scholarship began. After two long semesters of juggling between work and school, Abdelsalam heard about the Karam Scholarship and applied. His academic record and perseverance against the hardship he faced helped him secure the scholarship. He kept his freelance job, but his main focus was now on school.
As recipients of the Karam Scholarship, students are required to give back to their community. Abdelsalam chose to work with multiple organizations focusing on the mental and behavioral rehabilitation of children in Zaatari Camp. He advocates for them and brings awareness about the hardship these children face, and the struggles they go through on a daily basis.
After a long day of volunteering with the kids, Abdelsalam comes back home defeated because of what he has witnessed. “There is a lot of work that needs to be done, with the parents more than the kids. It is devastating to think that these camps are all these children know. Some of them were born and raised in these tents. This is where they play, they eat, they learn, and they grow. They don’t know what’s beyond the borders of the camp.”
Even though this 6-month program ended, Abdelsalam plans to continue his work of rehabilitation with the kids. One day, he hopes to make a career out of building a better tomorrow. He plans to apply for programs outside of Jordan to continue his academic journey, and pursue a Master’s degree in journalism and media.
Abdelsalam continues to apply for jobs despite the difficulty of securing one in Jordan. But if there’s one thing Abdelsalam learned on his journey, it’s that he refuses to give up and will continue to persevere no matter the circumstances.
