LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - An estimated half million people have died because of the conflict in Syria over the past seven years, with many survivors forced to leave their homes to escape the violence. However, thanks to a group of Arkansans, many have found hope.
The Wisdom House Project was founded in 2016 in Conway. Now, they fund a school for orphans and a women’s shelter in Syria. They’re hosting an event July 27 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Bernice Garden in Little Rock to help fund English books, sewing machines and new computers for the women’s shelter.
At “Evening of Hope” admission is free and there will be live music, craft beer and food. It’s all donation based, so anything you buy will help fund the shelter. Their goal is $3,000.
The Wisdom House has been operating an orphanage in Idlib, Syria since 2016, currently educating about 150 kids. They also opened a women's shelter in 2017 that supports about 100 women who are widowed from the war.
“The next thing we know will happen is the military is going to move up to the area we operate called Idlib Provence," said Natalie Larrison, Director of Outreach with the Syrian Emergency Task Force.
In January, Russian airstrikes in Idlib forced the Wisdom House school and women’s shelter to close.
"Two months later they all came back because the air strikes stopped and we’ve resumed our school," said Larrison.
"These women have lost their husbands to the war and basically they have nothing. They lost their homes, they’ve been forced out some of them have lost children," said Abby Straessle, event organizer of “Evening of Hope.”
If you can’t make the event, you can donate here.
“I think it’s important to understand the impact Arkansas has made in Syria because it seems so far away from us but when you look at these pictures and videos and these children are beaming it’s so amazing"