Name: Qais Ghassan Abdulrazzaq

Profile: Syrian refugee, living in Zaatari Refugee Camp, Jordan since 2013.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, education lover, photographer.

Risk: At risk of being killed by the Syrian Army, ISIS or Jabbat Al-Nusra if return home.

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

During the Syrian Civil War in 2013, Qais and his family fled to Jordan to save their lives. Since then, they have been living inside Zaatari Refugee Camp.

Qais dreams to resettle in a safe country like Canada where he can get proper education, pursue his passion and live with freedom. He needs now a group of five Canadian friends who can bring him to Canada.

His Story

Qais Ghassan was born in January 1997, in Sourah a village in the Daraa district in Syria.

During the Syrian Civil War in 2011, the situation was very scary. Qais still remembers when he used to watch deserted streets through his home’s window and he used to get scared.

“We always heard gunshots and bomb blasts. It was impossible to sleep due to the terrifying sounds and I used to feel like I was going to die.”

The Syrian Armed Forces besieged his village within a month. They lived under horrible conditions during the siege. They had no electricity and not enough water and food.

One day in late December 2012, the Syrian Armed Forces broke their house door and entered their home. Qais was with his family, and one of the officers started asking questions from his father. In the end, the officer threatened his family and told them to leave the village immediately.

                                  “They scared us so much”

Leaving Home

Qais and his family had no way to stay in the country. They had to flee to survive during the civil war. He witnessed his entire village being destroyed and his friends being killed by the Syrian Armed Forces. His friend Mohammad was at his home when a bomb hit his home and killed him. His other friend Ali was taken by the Armed Force and died due to being tortured.

On the other hand, as a Syrian, it was mandatory for Qais to serve in the military once he turned 18 years old. He just had 1 and a half years left to turn 18, and he did not want to join the military, so he and his family fled to another village called Garfa. Qais knew that if the Syrian Armed Force Caught him, they would kill or put him in prison forever.

On January 27, 2013, Qais and his family fled to Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. Since then, he has been living there.

Still in Danger

“I feel that I escaped a quick death and in exchange, we are suffering a slow death living in this refugee camp.”

The camp is overcrowded and they have electricity only for six to seven hours a day. There are so much dust and desert tornadoes. Qais lives in a caravan that does not protect him from the heat of the summer or the cold of winter. He says:

                          “Living in this caravan is frightening.”

The refugee camp is located next to the village of Zaatari. The camp is not safe or cared for. The unsafe conditions for cooking, and neglected wiring for electricity, and heat usually cause fires. The villagers fire in the air on every occasion.

On one occasion, a bullet from a villager’s gun penetrated the roof of Qais’s caravan and bed. Luckily, he was not in bed or else he would have been hit. One of his friends was shot by a villager and now is paralyzed and can never walk again. A mother and her four children died in a fire incident. The ambulance did not come until after the fire ended. These kinds of incidents have been increasing day by day. Qais says:

“I don’t want to live all my life in this camp. This is a sad life.”

His Dreams

Qais has a passion for photography as well as journalism, leadership, international relations, human recourses and marketing. He is flexible, open-minded and curious.

“I can adapt myself to any circumstances. I am optimistic and have faith in the future and humanity despite the hardships I have been through.”

His dream is to live in a safe place where he can get proper education, work and improve his skills. He hopes to return to his country one day and help his people build it from scratch.

An Opportunity

There is an option for Qais to start his life again in a country like Canada where he can be given an opportunity to pursue his dreams and live with freedom.

As a UNHCR refugee, he is eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. He needs a group of five Canadian friends to support him.

To help support him as a sponsor, please contact Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can also reach out to Qais Ghassan directly on Facebook – or by email: qais079085@outlook.com.

Reach out and discover how wonderful it is to privately sponsor a good family to start a new life – with your help – in Canada!

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