São Paulo – The philanthropy department of São Paulo-based Syrian Sports Club is holding a crowdfunding to help Syrian immigrant Razan Suliman, who lives in Brazil and lost her husband while he was crossing the border to the United States. The department has published a video on its social media telling the story of Razan Suliman and the link of an online crowdfunding to help the woman, who was left alone in Brazil with their children. Pictured, the couple working with Arab cuisine.
According to information made public by Syrian Sports Club, Razan Suliman is the wife of Mohamad Dahhan, a Syrian Brazilian who died while crossing the border from Mexico to the US to see his family and find work. The information on his death first came from a Mexican organization, which reported that Dahhan died on August 4. In late September, Interpol reported that the body was found in a river, with evidence of drowning.
Syrian Sports Club Philanthropy director Rita de Cassia Halti visited Razan on October 3, after the news was confirmed, and paid her condolences. “We have a purpose in this life that is giving a helping hand to each other in moments of need,” Halti was quoted as saying in a statement.
The amount raised by the campaign will be donated to the widow so that she can buy food, continue her work, pay her debts, and support her three children. Suliman works selling Arab food, a business she used to run with her husband. “She just needs to be able to reorganize things, make ends meet and move on, so we’ve decided to help her get to a better situation in life with her children,” Halti finishes.
The campaign aims to raise BRL 10,000 (USD 1,923) and also seeks an International Law office that could help her family get the death certificate of Mohamad Dahhan for free. There are still no official documents proving his passing. There is no minimum value for the donation, and you can donate as much as you like on the link of the department Sírio do Bem on the crowdfunding website.
The couple first came to Brazil fleeing the war in 2014. In Brazil, they were helped by the Muslim community and settled in the city of São Paulo, where they founded Arab food restaurant Razan. Syrian Sports Club, which is holding the campaign to help the family, was founded by members of the Arab community in Brazil.
Sírio do Bem
The Sírio do Bem department is a philanthropical project that operates on several fronts. In the first half of 2022, the Syrian club donated 4,500 pieces of clothing made by its volunteers. It also gathered clothing items, toys and shoes to be donated to the Hcor hospital and sold at the institution thrift store. The project is currently accepting donations of diapers, milk, Mucilon, masks, disposable aprons, gloves in closed boxes, and 100% acrylic wool. The latter will be used to make children’s shoes, socks and coats.
Contact information:
Philanthropy department Sírio do Bem
Syrian Sports Clube
Phone number: +55 (11) 2189-8500
Email: contato@sirio.org.br
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
