Jarah al-Hawamdeh, a Palestinian refugee in Jordan who lost one of his legs to bone cancer, has vowed to reach the summit of Mount Everest in hopes of saving his cash-strapped school.
Al-Hawamdeh, 22, is climbing the world’s tallest mountain to raise funding for the school that gave him an education.
Located in Jordan, the Al-Jufe School is run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), which is currently facing severe budget shortfalls.
#Health4All: Did you know that drastic funding cuts for #UNRWA puts health services at RISK #ForPalestineRefugees?
US$ 32 provides #PrimaryHealthCare for a #Palestine #refugee child each year
Donate NOW: https://t.co/KPkVwpLcnB#DignityIsPriceless #FundUNRWA pic.twitter.com/JDl3XHSAYS
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) April 9, 2018
“Jarah is one of six children was born to Palestine refugee parents in al-Jofeh. He grew up with stories of how his grandparents fled their home in Palestine during the Nakba and how they never stopped hoping they could return. Their story affected him deeply, but also inspired him to achieve great things no matter what the obstacles in front of him,” according to UNRWA website.
On crutches, al-Hawamdeh has already begun climbing the mountain, which is located near the Nepalese-Chinese border and reaches an altitude of 8,848 meters.
He has already climbed some 5,100 meters and hopes to soon reach the base camp located at the summit.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
