All children have many dreams of what they want to be when they grow up. In my journey to find my goal in life, looking back, it was always about helping children find a way to realize their dreams.

I worked as a class teacher for ten years and a vice principal for two. I always kept in touch with many of my students and was gratified as they flourished into young adults, in tandem with my own children’s life journey.

"If there was ever an opportunity for me to realize my dream of helping children when they needed that the most, this had to be it.

Then a few years ago, my country of birth – Syria – was being devastated by a cruel conflict that affected millions of families just like mine, with mothers just like me, trying to care for their loved ones and many traveling to foreign lands seeking shelter and safety. I couldn’t sit still – if there was ever an opportunity for me to realize my dream of helping children when they needed that the most, this had to be it.

I helped the internally displaced people in Syria and in Jordan refugee camps, mainly single mothers, initially with basic needs – food, clothing, and shelter. However, being and educator, I was deeply affected by the stories of thousands of children having their education completely disrupted, and I felt I had to do something about that. In 2015 I founded Bareeq Education & Development. It is a non-profit organization in Jordan which cares for and teaches displaced children and women in Amman on many topics including how to read and write. For more information on Bareeq please see www.bareeqeducation.org. This was, and still is, an amazing experience.

I believe that one of the best ways to help children is for them to have their mothers empowered and able to provide a nurturing role. Towards that, we expanded the courses at the center towards helping women develop and learn vocational skills to be able to work. We now have knitting, crochet, jewelry making, among others. One of our graduating women approached us and asked how she can market and sell her products.

This is when the idea for Amber and Musk was born — and I wanted this to be on a global scale. Amber & Musk’s mission is to help women and mothers follow their dreams and reach where they want to be, anywhere in the world.

Amber and Musk brings handiwork of women from all over, for those who are already successful and also who are just taking the first step on realizing their childhood dreams.

Yes I found my passion, helping women and children and working with them. I am having the best time of my life!