UF student organization travels to help Syrian refugees

Rani Mahmoudi’s father came to Jacksonville, Florida, not knowing a word of English in the 1970s to escape persecution from the Syrian government.

To grasp the language, he walked up to random people and talked to them.

“He told me about his struggles,” Mahmoudi said. “And what is happening in Syria now is heartbreaking for both of us.”

Mahmoudi, a 21-year-old UF biomedical engineering junior, said he was inspired by his father’s story to create Gators for Refugee Medical Relief. He’s now the president of the organization.

The group travels to Jacksonville to help refugees aged 4 to 13, Mahmoudi said. The members teach the children about American culture, such as sports and games.

Gators for Refugee Medical Relief, which was established in Summer 2017, currently has about 80 members.

The organization raised $2,000 to purchase electrocardiogram medical monitors for refugee camps overseas, Mahmoudi said.

According to BBC, Syria has been in a full-scale civil war that started from a peaceful uprising against the president seven years ago, and has left more than 350,000 people dead.

Ajay Dass, a UF mechanical engineering senior and vice president of internal affairs of the club, said one of his favorite experiences working with refugee children was helping a 10-year-old boy get a prosthetic hand.

Some members were able to build it with the help of a UF club called Generational Relief in Prosthetics, according to Alligator archives.

“My favorite accomplishment was seeing his face with the hand and being able to put it on,” the 22-year-old said.