Abu Dhabi teenager sets up Make A Difference foundation

Abu Dhabi: Sixteen-year-old Abu Dhabi resident Fadwa Qadan has set up a foundation to make a difference to the lives of children in refugee camps in the Middle East.

Qadan, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin, will be heading to Jordan next month to help refugees, especially children, that live in the camps there. “People have a hard life in those camps; they lack basic facilities and rely on donations for their daily needs,” says Qadan, a Year 13 student of Al Yasmina School, Abu Dhabi.

But what made the teenager embark on such a mission?

“Five years back, I was on a holiday in Greece. I saw refugee children who were barely managing to survive. Devoid of education and any support, their future seemed bleak. I also saw beggars on the streets -- all this made me feel I must do something to ease their suffering,” says Qadan.

Then only 11, she was too young to do anything about it, but she didn’t forget her resolve. Now at 16, Qadan has set up Make a Difference foundation to help the needy.

Campaign

She will be accompanied by her parents on the trip to Jordan. The team will visit camps and do a survey in order to devise a programme to offer help. “After I come back, I will organise a campaign through Make A Difference with the help of my family and friends, collect educational item as well as basic essentials and ship them to Jordan,” says Qadan.

In May, Qadan donated over 300 books and toys to two special needs schools in the capital with the help of her family and friends.