Mr. Hafez Taraman
Media Personality and Humanitarian Activist from Syria
Mr. Hafez has been active in media work since 2012 and worked with several local and foreign channels until 2017. He set foot in humanitarian work with several local Syrian organizations. In 2018, he launched initiatives— including Kids Future for children in the city of Maarat al-Numan. The initiative established a cultural library project for reading on children who suffer from psychological conditions due to air strikes and other crises.
Mr. Hafez is inspired by children as they are the ‘weakest’ link in his society. They do not have a safe space to express what they need, nor access to education due to displacement and destruction of schools. This prompted him to respond to the needs of children, highlighting their suffering through the media, and helping them secure their needs by communicating with supporting agencies.
‘Witnessing injured children screaming while warplanes bombed their homes, accelerated his urge to work with children.’
Mr. Hafez joined the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC) in response to his passion and calling to serve children. The GNRC being a network dedicated to building a better world for children captivated him.
“I am very happy to work with the Network and I cherish it. “Mr. Hafez Taraman, Contact Person, GNRC Syria.
The support from the Network encourages him to continue providing support to children in Syria. It has helped develop work to promote education and provide psychological support for children, especially in camps. It has also provided suggestions and advice on how to enhance transparency and effective communication between civil society organizations and other volunteer teams. His mission, therefore, is to create a better community for children. He is proud of his successes and achievements in this field.
The Earthquake in Syria 2023.
Through the GNRC, Mr. Hafez supported those affected by the earthquake. Together with other GNRC members, they provided food baskets to families affected.
The earthquake had psychological and behavioral effects on children especially those who lost their families and those who survived from under the rubbles. They developed problems such as involuntary urination, fear and hesitation, attachment to parents and aggression. Due to lack of awareness, lack of projects targeting children and parents not knowing how to deal with such changes, the importance of the idea to work with children came in.
His hope is that children in Syria live in a more peaceful and stable country, where their basic rights such as education, health and decent life are respected. He also hopes that children will be provided with safety and protection from violence, exploitation and harassment, and that they will have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood without fear.
“The best world for children in Syria is one that protects and encourages them to achieve their dreams, and in which they can grow and develop in safety and have confidence in themselves.” Mr. Hafez Taraman, Contact Person, GNRC Syria.
