Local Syrian activists are vital to the functioning of our work. Our local networks ensure that the various aid projects can be implemented successfully. This includes the receipt of aid deliveries and the coordination of the subsequent distribution within Syria. Depending on the region and the city, we work with these volunteer activists because they are the ones who bring the aid goods to the people in need.

Members of this network also, for example, contact potential teachers for our schools and help us to select the teaching staff. They take on responsibility for the administration of our schools in the refugee camps, oversee the construction of additions to the schools, and inform us when issues arise. And they do much, much more as well. Our local network is the extended arm of Barada – our eyes and ears in the country. Without it, we would not be able to provide this level of support from Germany.

Internally, we have one main person responsible for each project who is in charge of the planning and realization in a particular area. Each project lead calculates the costs and plans the schedules, initiates implementation steps, solicits donations and reports regularly to the Barada team. Depending on the project’s size and the effort required, this person may be supported by other members or volunteer helpers from our network in Germany.

For example, the children’s choir “Prenzlberger Singvögel” offered in summer 2014 to put on a benefit concert to raise money for our Amal School in the Atmeh refugee camp. Our project lead Osman was involved in the event, reporting on our work and giving the audience an authentic portrayal of the situation in Atmeh.

“With the money raised from that event, we can now provide school supplies such as books, notebooks and pencils to the children for the start of the school year...,” the project lead reported happily.

Firas is our project lead for the most recent aid convoys to Syria. He not only organizes the warehouses to store the goods, contacts producers of baby food and asks for donations, he also coordinates who will be there to receive donated goods at the warehouse and sometimes he even drives a truck full of aid supplies all the way to the Syrian border.

Not only is transparency important for our work, we also have to know at all times what stage of implementation the various projects are at. This is essential for deciding whether to initiate or continue other projects and aid offerings, since we definitely want to bring everything we have started to a successful conclusion. “We will only be able to plan more schools in Turkey and Syria once we are sure that we have secured the finances and staff to continue operating our existing schools. For this reason, we have set up a continuous cost-monitoring system,” says Dr. Firas Khoury, Treasurer of Barada e.V.

The Barada team is made up exclusively of volunteer members who are prepared to invest some of their free time in the work of the organization. It is only thanks to these volunteer helpers that we can ensure that every EURO donated goes to the people in Syria and no donations are spent on administrative and organizational costs.
If you would like to get involved, please contact us.
 

Each of our projects is financed exclusively by donations. Barada Syrienhilfe e.V. provides the organizational framework that allows us to implement our aid projects. Without financial support and donations-in-kind, we would not be able to continue and expand our work in Syria and neighboring countries. Therefore, every single donation is important. Please help and join us in supporting the Syrian population.