Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims around the world, and most non-Muslims know it as a month of fasting. After abstaining from food and water during daylight hours, many Muslims will break the Ramadan fast each day by bringing together family and friends for a special meal called Iftar. Ramadan is also a time where people are called to think of others and to serve the less fortunate. In that spirit, Khloud AlZu'bi (YES 2012-2013, Jordan, hosted by PAX in Santa Fe, NM) organized two Iftars for orphans in her home community. 

At the first event on June 15th, Khloud held an Iftar for 30 young girls. Besides the meal, Khloud focused this event on team building activities with an important message: United we stand, divided we fall.

On June 17th, Khloud stepped things up a notch at the second Iftar by introducing new activities and even more fun. She organized the event around a "soap football field" - the first of its kind in Jordan! Aside from playing in the suds, the orphans who participated learned how to make soap and about the importance of water.

Khloud is passionate about working with orphans, especially young girls. She often volunteers with them on a variety of subjects, from building confidence to learning about why we drink water. Each time Khloud has a new idea, she tries to find a way to reach new girls and give everyone a chance to learn something new. Sometimes Khloud volunteers through local NGOs, with friends, or through connections to refugee organizations. Other times Khloud orchestrates a project on her own like the two Iftars this month.

While attending YES, Khloud volunteered with a number of organizations, including Girls, Inc., which teaches girls to be more confident, independent, and strong. Khloud credits that experience with motivating her for her projects now that she is back in Jordan. Of Girls, Inc, Khloud says, “I loved the idea and I wanted to do something similar so I volunteer with girls from different ages teaching them from the same aspect and trying my best to make it fun and enjoyable for them. Now I’m able to lead different projects and come up with new ideas by myself.”