NTU student takes aid to refugees in Jordan
When Miss Esna Ong heard a Syrian toddler shout 'tayarah' (Arabic for 'aircraft') repeatedly, she realised that frequent aerial bombardment might have traumatised him.
That's just one of the stories Miss Ong has brought back from her visits to the Middle East.
The 22-year-old, who is studying at Nanyang Technological University's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, has a heart for the troubled region.
In June last year, after a collection for her 21st birthday celebration, she delivered food supplies to refugee households in Jordan.
She said: "Refugees are staying in Jordan's poorer neighbourhoods where electricity and water shortages are common."
She also recalled how empty their homes were - they couldn't afford furniture.
Yet, the refugees' generosity left a lasting impact on her. They offered her any food they had left available.
She said: "It's easy to be generous if you've the means. But, the refugees were still generous despite not having much."
Miss Ong first visited Jordan in September 2014 to teach refugees conversational English.
But not everything there was pleasant.
She recalled: "One night, some teenage boys tailed me for several minutes. They left only when they saw an older woman in an alley, though not before throwing a few stones at me."
Miss Ong's passion for helping refugees started when she was 18 and preparing for her A levels.
She read an article about their living conditions and was so moved that she cried.
She said: "Humanitarian workers are seen as noble. But when I was there, I received so much more than I gave, through the refugees' generosity and perseverance.
"Finding a cause that's bigger than yourself will reward you more emotionally than what it will cost you."
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