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Recently, Save the Children’s Boston Leadership Council members and Needham residents Joe Ramrath and Zoher Ghogawala travelled to Lebanon, along with Sejal Srinivasan, Mahsa Khanbabai and Paige Hornor, to witness firsthand the challenges faced by Syrian refugees. These dedicated and passionate advocates traveled across the world learn about the help being provided by Save the Children field workers under extremely difficult conditions.
The mission of the group was to observe the situation in Lebanon and the good works being done by Save the Children in the field. Of particular interest was the mobile library, purchased with donor funds raised in November at Save the Children’s Boston Leadership Council’s inaugural event, Celebrating a Future for Every Child. The library van carries books, games and learning tools, making it possible for displaced children to continue their education and get back to a place of learning.
Needham’s own Joe Ramrath and Zoher Ghogawala each shared poignant and enlightening reflections garnered from their experience.
Joe found the trip “life changing” and the plight of refugees in many ways, “overwhelming.” Nevertheless, in the face of poverty, child labor, and limited access to education, Joe was encouraged by the power of the human spirit, evident in the dedication of Save the Children staff and the way refugee children and their parents, despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, are looking forward to a future with help from Save the Children.
Zoher saw firsthand the human cost associated with war. With nearly 1 million Syrian refugees displaced to Lebanon, housed in tents in the Beqaa Valley, families are holding together trying to scratch out a subsistence on work such as farming, construction, housecleaning and other low-paying labor. Zoher reports that he has never seen a more dedicated group of people in his life. The power of the human spirit is evident both in the optimism and resilience displayed by the refugees and the passion of the Save the Children staff.
Both Zoher and Joe returned from their trip with a renewed dedication to helping these human beings, trapped in a foreign land without any sign of a political solution.
A group photo with the mobile library.
This fall, Joe, Sejal, Zoher, Paige and Mahsa will provide firsthand insight from their 2019 Lebanon trip with an informative and engaging media presentation detailing how Boston’s support is impacting and changing the lives of Syrian refugee children.
The community is invited to the Downtown Harvard Club on Friday, November 15, for Save the Children’s Boston Leadership Council’s 2nd annual celebration, A Future for Every Child, an elegant centennial reception with food, cocktails and stories from the frontline. For information on the event, email Chair of Save the Children's Boston Leadership Council (BLC) Tasneem Ghogawala at tghogawala@gmail.com.
