In early 2014, the Felsman Fellowship program, generously funded by WomenOne, partnered with Save the Children-Jordan and YUVA, a non-profit in Turkey, to allow our Fellows to take part in the response to the crisis in Syria. At the time there were approximately 600,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey each (total approx. 1,200,000). From February 2014 to June 2014 our Fellows worked through their respective organizations to learn about the situation of women and girl refugees and work towards providing them with educational opportunities and protective environments. Our two fellows in Turkey were stationed both in Istanbul and Kirikhan and our two fellows in Jordan were stationed in the Za'atari Refugee Camp, just outside of Amman.

Why the Syria Response?

Syria has been embroiled in civil war since March, 2011 due to ongoing armed conflict between the Ba'ath government and those seeking to oust it. Currently there are an estimated 2.5 million Syrian refugees who have sought safety in countries including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. Refugee camps and informal settlements have been set up in many of these countries, however, access to basic services such as healthcare and education remains a challenge. Women and girls are particularly at risk of gender-based and sexual violence and thousands of children have had their educations interrupted. For the most up-to-date information, visit the UNHCR Inter-Agency Information Sharing Portal.

From October 2014 to July 2015, the Felsman Fellowship program, generously funded by The Bernard van Leer Foundation, partnered with The Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Workers (INFANT), a non-profit in Peru, and the Associação Brasileira Terra dos Homens (ABTH), a non-profit in Brazil, to allow our Fellows to work on child protection and child labor issues. Fellows conducted research, assisted on program activities, led documentary workshops, and generated documentary materials in collaboration with youth and community members.