Skyrocket Light Project

The Skyrocket Light Project had one goal: to shine a light on the growing threat of sexual violence against Syrian women in the Al Zaatari Refugee Camp

Background

The Syrian conflict has raged on for 3 years, with no signs of abating. What began as part of the Arab Spring has quickly dissolved into an intense civil war. The secular opposition to Bashar Al-Assad is now competing with tens (possibly hundreds) of other opposition parties. These parties range from Islamic fundamentalists to human secularists. As these competing groups fight for control, the civilian population has been subjected to unspeakable harms. The government of Assad has used biological weapons against swaths of neighborhoods, and the opposition factions have installed harsh laws controlling movement and economic activity. Neighborhoods are bombed out ghost towns and shadows of their former selves, with the siege of Daraa being a clear example of such destruction.

UNHCR, the international body with authority over displaced persons, could not have anticipate the massive refugee crises that the Syrian Revolution has created. In 2011, the percolation of refugees from Syria was not a focal point in the UNHCR Global Appeal for 2013. The numbers on the report illustrate the incredible undertaking that was thrust on Jordan, UNHCR, and other aid agencies. The planning figures for total in-country refugees, from places other than Iraq, were in the hundreds. The belief was that by December 2013, UNHCR would assist around 40,000 displaced Syrians. The most recent updated appeal for 2013 has that number at 446,600 people assisted, with 432,500 of those being Syrian. The budget figures tell the same story. The complete 2011 budget, which was used in 2012 to map out 2013 expenditures, shows a total of $46,620,558 spent. The updated appeal shows half of 2012’s expenditures already surpassing 65 million dollars.

Project Details

As the fundraising site articulted: "This project included two parts: placement of solar-powered LED lights near the bathroom to decrease sexual assault of the camp's female population and provide supplemental school supplies to support the camp's student population."

Project History

Max Holland graduated law school in 2013 and received a Fulbright Program in Brazil, beginning in 2014. After taking the Bar Exam in Georgia, he decided to create a humanitarian project in a Syrian Refugee Camp. After consulting with Ben Decker, a graduate student in Tel Aviv and experienced digital consultant, they decided to provide a small-scale infrastructure development project to Al Zaatari refugee camp. They fundraised $4,500 dollars, using the crowdsourcing website Rockethub.. With the money, they purchased 100 Solar-powered LED lights from a Chinese manufacturer, who provided the lights at close to cost.

Project Implementation

Upon arriving in the region, Max and Ben teamed up with Elliot Talbert-Goldstein, an expert in non-profit management. The lights were sent directly to Aqaba Port, but were held up in customs for over a month. During that month, the project leaders met with NGO official, in Amman, and discussed project implementation. International Rescue Committee provided a basic framework for understanding work in Al Zaatari. UNHCR, OXFAM, Save the Children, and International Relief and Development Inc.collaborated on the implementation of the solar lights. After multiple meets and a visit to Zaatari, the project coordinated decided to install the lights at 42 Child-Friendly Spaces run by Save the Children, as well as 3 community tents and a children’s library run by IRD. Leaders in the Syrian community of Zaatari worked to install the lights. Zero have been stolen or broke since installation in February 2014.