Mohamad at Eton

January 25, 2012

Action Alert: Say "NO" to Settler Violence In the past you've helped us say "no" to illegal demolitions in the West Bank and threatened cuts to UNRWA's funding. Now join us again as we call on Israeli authorities to fulfill their obligations under international law to provide equal protection to the Palestinian people and nondiscrimination in its investigation and prosecution of settler attacks perpetrated against Palestinians. Click here to say "NO" to Israeli settler violence. AFU and KinderUSA invite you to be a champion to the children of Gaza by registering for the Gaza Summer Games Solidarity 5K Walk/Run on June 9, 2012 at Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. Registration is just $30.00, and all funds raised benefit UNRWA's Gaza Summer Games. Unable to make it to DC for the race? Click here to learn about other ways you can support the Solidarity 5K. In September 2010, 16-year-old UNRWA refugee, Mohamad Fahed, was given a gift of a lifetime when he won a scholarship to Britain’s most prestigious private school, Eton College. As an UNRWA student at Al-Aqsa School in Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon, Mohamad excelled in his studies and dreamed of one day becoming a genetic engineer. But because of stringent Lebanese laws that both prohibit Palestinian refugees from entering state schools and applying for most professional jobs, this dream seemed destined to remain unfulfilled. That is, until Mohamad won a highly competitive scholarship that allowed him to complete his secondary education at one of the best schools in the world, preparing him for a university education. For Mohamad, who had never left Lebanon, it was a passport to a new life. “I thought it was impossible. However, the Eton Scholarship has changed everything,” says Mohamad. In an Al Jazeera special, Mohamad shares his personal trials and triumphs during his first year at Eton. He talks about his loneliness as he experiences his first Eid away from his family, his intense interest as he witnesses the Arab Spring spreading across the Middle East, and his excitement as he discovers his love of music after joining the Eton choir and singing in his first concert. Mohamad came to Eton eager to expand his studies and experience a new culture, but during his first year, he became a teacher himself, sharing his culture and even tutoring his housemaster in Arabic. His story is as fascinating as it is uplifting, click on the video to watch: Mohamad’s story is truly an inspiration: an exceptional student, nurtured in UNRWA’s education system, and now destined for a successful future. You can help UNRWA continue to tell inspiring stories like Mohamad’s by supporting UNRWA’s work and clicking here to make a tax-deductible donation to American Friends of UNRWA today!

This video just gives me the reassuarance that the world is good indeed and it makes my belief in the goodness of the human heart even stronger!

Find us on Facebook and Twitter: