This is a fundraiser on behalf of my friend, Ram. Please read his personal statement below:

Living and growing up in Syria through the war has impacted my loved ones and myself in many ways. I lived in a state of fear, terrified of losing my family or my family losing me. I sat by the window daily anxiously waiting for my family to come home safely. Through this anxiety I found a break from the war in music. A way to let go of the stress and a creative process to give me a brighter hope for the future. It was a therapeutic tool for me to take a break from the sadness and the chaos.

Over time, I realized how playing music helped find peace from within. I was sure if music helped me reach a peaceful state and heal from the trauma, it could help others. I plan to take music and psychology classes at UWC USA. This will allow me to develop my skills and further investigate my passion for utilizing music as a form of therapy. A diverse education will allow me to learn about different music genres from all around the world allowing to deploy my education through the integration of ethnical music and therapy. This will allow me someday to support traumatized groups, war victims to overcome mental challenges through music and art. 

While I am in Syria, I wanted to get started exploring my passion through the different communities around me. I ran musical workshops with children having them cover their ears with headphones playing music to cover the sounds of explosions. I established a community club promoting learning about the Syrian culture and history. We read books about historical events to compensate for the lost educational opportunities in Syria.

I was awarded an academic scholarship to complete my education at UWC USA, but I still have to cover some expenses. The expenses that need to be covered is a flight ticket to UWC USA from Syria and Health insurance for both years, and some pocket money to get me through. Due to the war, my family’s financial situation does not leverage me to cover these expenses. I am hoping that with your generous help, I would be able to make it to the school of my dreams. Please help me and don’t allow a flight ticket and health insurance plan to get in the way of a bright future I have; help me make it happen.