01/06/2025

My name is Darius John Rubin, and nine years ago I met Mohammad al‑Mzeal. I was a teenager tagging along when my mother, a journalist, visited Al Azraq Refugee Camp in The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Mohammad was 16, a young man who had become the head of his family after Syria’s civil war claimed his father and drove himself, his mother and three sisters from their home.

Group of five people, including a young girl, sitting on cushions inside a room with white walls and floral decorations, engaged in conversation.

Al Azraq Refugee Camp, Jordan. 2017.

Today, at 25, Mohammad is still in Al Azraq; studying, volunteering with NGO’s, caring for his family. Mohammad is now a father, sharing two young children with his wife Ghofran.

Last year friends helped secure approval for Mohammad to start over in the United States, yet in January of this year, he reconsidered.

A man with short dark hair and a beard carrying a young boy on his shoulders, talking on a cellphone, with rocky desert landscape in the background.

Mohammad and his son, Abdullah. Petra, Jordan. 2025.

With the end of the Syrian Civil war, and the horizons of a new future for all Syrians, Mohammad realised his heart lay at home, in the ruins of a cinderblock house his father began to build 10 years ago.

Two men are smiling and laughing outdoors against a bright green wall. One man is wearing a striped sweater, carrying a black Polo bag, and holding a phone. The other man is wearing sunglasses, a cap, a light-colored jacket, and a plaid scarf.

Mohammad and Darius. Ajloun, Jordan. 2025.

We want to honor Mohammad’s choice, and help him restore the roots of his entire family.

Your gift will fund bricks, windows, wiring, a roof, and safe travel so the family can return and rebuild. Every contribution goes straight to construction and relocation, tracked openly.

Stand with Mohammad as he turns a shell of concrete into a living home, and shows that hope can outlast war.

You can support our efforts by visiting the link below.

PayPal: PayPal.me/DariusRubin

Zelle: darius_rubin@icloud.com

CliQ: ZMADI

A partially constructed single-story building with a combination of brick and concrete walls, and an open porch area on the right side, situated on a grassy field with a clear blue sky in the background.
Unfinished house under construction in a rural area with green grass, piles of sand, and a motorcycle nearby
Unfinished concrete house under construction on a grassy lot with scattered debris and construction materials, with trees and power lines in the background.
Under-construction two-story house with concrete block walls, no windows or doors installed, and a staircase on the right side, set against a partly cloudy sky.

Timeline & Milestones

  • January 06, 2025

    Project quantity estimation, costing & budgeting initiated.

  • January 22, 2025

    House is visited by contractor for preliminary evaluation and site documentation.

  • April 07, 2025

    Required materials set on site.

  • April 11, 2025

    Renovation work in motion.

  • May 13, 2025

    Renovation progress: Interior core is consolidated.

  • May 13, 2025

    Renovation progress: Exterior shell being prepared for cladding.

  • May 13, 2025

    Renovation Progress: Door openings installed and interior walls levelled with electrical and water systems.