Text and photos by Lamiya Lin
Translated by Wu Hsiao-ting
Jordan hosts the world’s second-largest refugee population per capita, sheltering over a million Syrians. Since the winter of 2011, Tzu Chi has provided both emergency and long-term aid, including more than 15,000 medical interventions—mostly for children—and 24,000 instances of educational support, helping families find a sense of security.
More than a hundred Syrian refugee children at Bridge School in Amman, Jordan, received book bags and other school supplies from Tzu Chi in 2024. Tzu Chi also provides tuition aid to these students.
Wafaa Alaei’s story is a poignant reminder of the countless tragedies caused by the Syrian civil war. Her husband once ran a thriving formalwear shop in downtown Damascus, while she lived a life of peaceful contentment as a full-time homemaker.
She paid little attention to the conflict when it broke out in 2011. But one night in late February 2012, a group of men dressed in black came and took her husband away. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon,” he told her—his last words to her.
Wafaa waited eight agonizing months only to receive a death certificate. For the sake of her two young sons, she fled with them to Amman, the capital of Jordan. They moved in with her parents and her sister, who had also lost her husband in the war. To support their six-member household, the sisters worked as cleaners and caregivers, contributing to a total monthly resource pool of 400 to 500 Jordanian dinars (US$565 to 705), which included United Nations (UN) food vouchers for the entire family.
From a once-comfortable life to working as a domestic helper, Wafaa found her greatest solace in her sons. With tuition aid from Tzu Chi, they studied diligently and worked part-time at a grocery store during winter and summer breaks to help support the family. “I still have my parents and children, which is more than many can say,” she said. “Watching my children grow makes all the hard work worth it.”
Her sons attended Bridge School in Amman, where Tzu Chi supports Syrian students by providing tuition aid, distributing school supplies before each new term, and sharing Jing Si aphorisms—short, inspirational sayings by Dharma Master Cheng Yen. This support helped sustain Wafaa’s family during their time in Jordan.
In April 2023, a new chapter in their lives began: Wafaa and her sons received news that they would be resettled in Canada through a UN program.
Though her eyes still reflected the sorrow of losing her husband when she thought of him, Wafaa had grown stronger for the sake of her children. Carrying with her the blessings of Tzu Chi volunteers, she began a new life in a foreign land, ready to build a better future for her family.
In the 2024 academic year alone, Tzu Chi provided tuition aid to 105 Syrian refugee students at Bridge School. Among them, 32 lived in Tzu Xin House, located about five kilometers (three miles) from the school, a ten-minute drive.
Tzu Xin House shelters Syrian single mothers, their children, and orphans. Most of the children there have been unable to attend Jordanian public schools. Since October 2016, Tzu Chi’s Jordan chapter has supported more than 30 families at the house with rent and tuition. It also offers classes in computer skills, English, and taekwondo.
Shaped by hardship, the children at Tzu Xin House are especially mature and industrious. They understand that education is their surest path to a better future. In August 2022, when the results of Jordan’s university entrance exams were released, all the families at the house celebrated: three girls there had passed and could enroll in their preferred university programs. Their success inspired hope—a reminder that, even in a foreign land and despite immense challenges, these young people are forging a path forward.
Of the three, Yasmeen Abduljalel hopes to become a pharmacist. Reem Saleh was admitted to the Korean-English bilingual program at the University of Jordan. Manar Omar Abbas was accepted into Al Balqa Applied University. Thanks to partial tuition support from Tzu Chi, the girls are now experiencing university life and giving back by helping with the foundation’s aid distributions to low-income Jordanians.
Jordan, a country of over 11 million people, hosts more than a million Syrian refugees—both registered and unregistered. Many families, after leaving refugee camps, have settled on the margins of urban society or in desert areas, struggling to make a living. Tzu Chi’s connection with these families has spanned more than a decade, with over 24,000 instances of educational aid alone. From daily necessities to medical care to schooling, the foundation continues to ease their journey in a foreign land.
Tzu Chi volunteers distribute school supplies to Syrian students at Bridge School.
