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Serving No’aimeh, My New Home
Published 07/21/2017 by Global Communities
Serving No’aimeh, My New Home
Young Woman Joins the No’aimeh CET as its First Syrian Member to Give Back to Her New Home
Durieh receives recognition for her voluntary work.
Durieh Neqdeli is only 25 years old, but she has already experienced a lot. Five years ago her parents made the difficult decision to leave their home in Syria and move the family to the safety of Jordan. With five children in tow, the Neqdelis found refuge in No’aimeh, a small community in Irbid City. They arrived with nothing, but full of hope for a fresh start. “We were the fiftieth family to arrive into a small community,” recalls Durieh. “At first, we were not fully accepted, which is understandable. But those who accepted us treated us like family and more,” continued Durieh, still emotional about the generosity of the community members.
Durieh says it is this generosity that motivated her to find a way to give back to the community. Whenever possible, she participated in community activities and volunteered for different projects. But it is the No’aimeh community enhancement team (CEP) and the USAID Community Engagement Project (CEP) that drew her attention.
“For a year, I attended all CET activities,” Durieh said. “I was impressed by the CET’s approach, and how activities are built on community needs and strengthened by community engagement. The CET’s activities are so different from other projects I worked on. They achieve results and help improve an area on many different levels. I am proud to say that I was a part of an effort that helped rehabilitate our Youth Club which is now able to serve us better, or that our streets are lit more brightly because of the CET’s and municipality’s efforts. There are many other achievements,” Durieh added passionately.
It did not take long for the No’aimeh CET to note her passion and commitment as well! During a session designed to add new members to the CET, Durieh was nominated to join and emphatically welcomed to the CET as its first Syrian member!
“I want to use my energy to build my new community, No’aimeh. I want to support future projects, especially for youth, and serve as a platform for youth to express their needs and share their talents,” Durieh concluded.
