Written by Wanya Zafar
Image from Amanaah Gala featuring tantoura dancer
Amaanah. A name that many of us in the greater Houston area are very familiar with. From participating in their drives, helping sort through their collected items, and collecting donations for them via neighborhood bake sales to attending their annual fundraiser galas, we have long experienced Amaanah Refugee Services as a center of generosity. With fifteen years of hard work and dedication helping create safe homes in our city for varied refugee populations, this organization has brought many people together. And in the process, it has created bonds between many families that are now a part of their cherished memories.
Amaanah started out as a charity to help incoming refugees settle in Houston. Initially, their focus was the collecting of funds and goods to help ease the transition of the refugee families into a new city and culture. Their programs included collecting canned foods, clothes, household items and grocery supplies to provide for the refugee population as they learned to get back up on their feet again. In a short while, they learnt that their services were needed in empowering these families to feel at home in their new cultural surroundings as well. Their programs expanded to women empowerment and connecting female refugees with roles and skills that could help make them a productive member of society.
With time, the focus extended to another important sector, education. Funding and donations were set aside for childhood education and higher education scholarships. Mentoring services were introduced to youth to allow them to feel more comfortable with a career path, and to build community connections in a population that had the potential to be otherwise isolated. A very noteworthy challenge for the refugee population has always been language barriers and proficiency in English. Amaanah has helped countless families and persons of all age groups in multiple households become more familiar and comfortable with a language that was not their first spoken language. This asset alone helps boost confidence and opens multiple occupational and educational opportunities for our refugee population in Houston.
As an organization which believes greatly in covering all facets of support, Amaanah did not want to be all work and no play. To that end, Amaanah Lions emerged as a soccer program created for the refugee youth. This program teaches valuable lessons of sportsmanship and team spirit, while providing a platform for the players to bond and develop lifelong friendships. Many community athletes have been a source of mentors for their Lions players as well.
(Jida with other supporters of the Amanaah Lions)
My favorite Amaanah memory and my association with Amaanah was built through their donation drives. One of them was known pre-covid as their ‘Rock the Block’ event, which has evolved to multiple seasonal drives. I attended my first Rock the Block event when I was seven, and it really highlighted the difficulties faced by refugees to my young self. I remember appreciating all that we have and take for granted, and realizing that it can be so suddenly taken away from some as well. Over the years these drives have expanded to grocery, Eid supplies and gifts, Back to School supplies and Winter donation drives. With the help of generous donors, Amaanah has now taken on the role of providing small moments of joy for many at so many times in the year.
(Amine Amrouni, Lions head coach, at a service event)
Reflecting on this organization now fifteen years in the making, it is easy to see that it has been led by, and grown because of, its wonderful staff and volunteers. As we celebrated Eid, a new CEO was about to take charge. When asked what her most prized Amaanah achievement has been, Jida Nabulsi, the outgoing CEO, responded that she is so proud that Amaanah has been so organized and has now built so many relationships that will allow them to expand into greater work in Houston. She is the most pleased with all the Education services offered and is notably proud of the scholarships that are now being provided to almost 8000 students.
As I participated in the donation drive this Ramadan, wearing my blue t-shirt, I felt very valuable to be a volunteer with this organization. Watching lines of children and adults passing items and working together to provide smiles to many others lining up outside the doors, I remember thinking that this is what we are directed to do as an embodiment of our religion, both in the spirit of Ramadan and in the spirit of being a good community member, to share our blessings.
Multiple opportunities exist for all our teen readers to reach out and get involved, whether one wants to be a Teen Ambassador or simply join in at the next Back to School drive. We are fortunate to have such a great organization enabling us all to support our refugee brothers and sisters and we are proud to have Amaanah in our community!
Text VOLUNTEER to 1 844 358 3872 to receive more information on upcoming events.
(shared with permission)
Wanya Zafar
St. John’s School, Class of 2028
BIO:
As an avid writer of the Class of 2028 at St. John’s School, Wanya is so excited to join the Houston Crescent team! When she’s not onstage performing or on the volleyball court, Wanya enjoys reading books and iced coffee!