Mohsen’s* Green Path to the Green Centre

Thinking about the Syrian crisis sparks mental images about displacement, refugees, cries for support and injustice. While all of this is sadly correct, the world must mark Syrians’ resilience, strength and creativity as never-ending.

This shows that as long as a nation has an invincible mindset, it will endure.

Looking at this camp, one realises how harsh the living environment is. Its desert climate means unbearably hot summers and freezing cold winters. Furthermore, residents face another problem: the enormity of the camp. Spread over 14 km, refugees walk a long way for daily shopping. Returning to their shelters with the purchased items is also a great difficulty. Going to school during heavy rain or sandstorms is another complication.

To solve their problems, the Syrians put their innovative minds to work using the available resources. Today we will meet a resident of the camp who is solving these problems and contributing to the improvement of his community - 40-year-old Mohsen*.

“My family and I couldn’t see ourselves living in Syria. It was harrowing so we left FOR Jordan in 2019 knowing we SHARED the same traditions. They’re welcoming people,” he shares. “When we arrived at the Jordanian border, we stayed in Arkuban Camp for a couple of months before being granted entry to Azraq Camp”.

After settling in and being granted a shelter, Mohsen began receiving monthly financial support from UNHCR which is provided to all families at the camp. “Although we appreciate the support, my family’s needs were increasing. My children needed clothing for school, my youngest needed diapers [at that time] and I wanted to provide other basics”. Mohsen also takes pride in his initiative character, “I am a proactive person, I don’t like to sit around and wait”.

So, he immediately began looking for a job while thinking of ways to improve his newly granted shelter. Meanwhile, the family experienced their first summer at Azraq Camp and as expected it was unbearable, “the temperatures rise to 40 Celsius, it’s extremely hot. So, I began thinking of ways to alleviate my family’s struggle. I came to the idea of creating a makeshift air conditioner using the available items I had at home, I only had to buy the fan, mesh and a generator”. He continues “I installed a fan with metal around it and connected it to a generator, added a piece of wet mesh around it so when I turn it on it releases cold air, like air conditioner”. Mohsen is crafty and good with tools, so doing this was a nice challenge for him and each year he adds another enhancement. “I decided to paint it with a special paint to prevent it from rusting also with time, the mesh gets wet and cannot be used anymore, it disintegrates. So I put a 1-meter piece of mesh around a cylinder and placed it next to the fan. This way I can use it like toilet paper. I don’t have to dismantle the entire fan each time”.

Moving Without Paddling

Mohsen improved his house but one major struggle remains, securing a job. Thankfully, He was able to find one with World Vision Syria Responses Solid Waste Management project after hearing about it in the camp. 

The project is a full circle of teamwork aiming to protect the camp’s environment. It begins with behavioural change volunteers who spread waste management awareness messages among residents. The cycle continues with the litter picking colleagues who scour the roads removing any waste flyways they see. There’re also the volunteers who collect the barrels and dispose of them in the truck correctly in the Green Centre. Mohsen was offered to be part of this team and he happily accepted, he later joined the colleagues who separate waste at the Green Centre.

Slowly, Mohsen’s financial situation stabilised enabling him to unleash his brilliant mind. He was able to solve the issue of long-distance travelling. So, he started saving for a bicycle to move around. “We aren’t allowed to have a driver's license, so I thought saving for a bicycle and I wanted to add a generator on it and later charge it using the solar panels”. 600 Jordanian Dinars later and a lot of devotion, Mohsen finally got his bicycle and it uses green energy just like the air conditioner.

“I have another bicycle at home. I intend to install another generator for my son to use after securing its price”. This meant Mohsen uses this bicycle from and to work, to transport his family, run errands and much more. It’s made his life, his ingenious mind made his life easier.

With innovative minds like Mohsen’s, Syrians will remain resilient and will survive. What they need is support to grow their start-up ideas and see them flourish further benefitting their community. 

*Name has been changed to protect identity.