Thank you from Samara's Aid

As you may know, one of the amazing organisations we work with is Samara's Aid whose mission statement is "Serving Syria and the Middle East with medical and humanitarian help"

Thanks to your support, this is one of eight organisations DRS were able to send £500 to last week. This is the wonderful reply we received...

"Thank you so much for the donation of £500.00 from The Derbyshire Solidarity Charity towards our humanitarian work. Would you please thank everyone concerned in the giving of this wonderful amount.

Everything we do is completely dependent on contributions from people like you and we are so thankful for your support. Sadly there are now more than 11.7 million in Syria requiring humanitarian help (UNOCHA).

In August 2014, Samara felt God call her to “start collecting”. Her vision was to fill and send out one lorry load of winter clothes, shoes and bedding. With your backing we have sent out 110 of these lorries and containers of donated goods, including mother and baby care packs, dignity bags, wheelchairs, stretchers and other hospital equipment. In addition we have opened and run medical facilities together with our partners in Syria. Our medical centre in Deir Ez-zor was established in February 2018 after the area was freed from ISIS, and is currently treating an average of 3,000 patients each month. To date, all the care we have given there has been provided free of charge, serving many of the poorest and most vulnerable people, many of whom are living in badly damaged homes.

Everyone working with us in the UK is a volunteer. To date we have each covered our own expenses, and to eliminate most UK overhead costs, we have used storage spaces offered to us rent- free. We want as close to 100% as possible of all donations to go directly to our brothers and sisters in need.

Currently donations to our general fund will cover our basic costs for insurance etc. and supporting our humanitarian and medical work. Donations to our medical appeal are being channelled towards supporting our medical projects in Syria, which includes designing and building a new 9,000m2 hospital in Syria. Funds donated to our orphans and widows appeal will support households with children who have lost one or both parents. It will also be used to support widows with children to enable them to be self-sufficient, whether through training, mentoring or providing equipment, like sewing machines, to enable them to earn an income.

The crisis in Syria has been described by the UN as the “worst humanitarian crisis of our time”. The complex situation and needs of the people there mean we will keep our focus on what we can do on a practical level to support the millions left behind in such a difficult place. Our journey continues to be one of trust in God’s provision and answers to prayers. We hope very much that you will be inspired to continue to support our appeal