“3433 – The Road to Syria” is a humanitarian project that involves driving 3 vans (which will be donated) full of medical supplies and warm clothes from Berlin to the Turkish/Syrian border. We will be documenting our project and produce out of it a documentary movie.

There is a terrible civil war in Syria claiming 191,000 casualties with nearly 9 million refugees escaping to survive. It wasn’t always like this, Syria was a country full of history and rich culture with its citizens full of character and kindness. However presently it is an environment of instability and violence. A close friend of ours Tamer Alawam had been one of the victims of this war. It is in his memory and our love for a country we lived in and think of as a second home that we decided to do something.

Once there we will meet with our partners non profit Time4Life whose contacts will drive the vans to Aleppo to distribute medical supplies to hospitals and clothing to families in need. Aleppo was a city once considered a patrimony of the Unesco, however now its landscape is ravaged by bombs painted red by the bloodshed.

Here a photo to have an idea of the place.

Vanessa in cooperation with Action Syria last February drove a bus full of medical supplies and clothing from Berlin to the border of Turkey/Syria where she met with trusted contacts who then delivered it to a hospital in Aleppo.

From her experience we are better prepared for the trip but in a bigger way. We have already figured out the best route, how to deal with the paperwork, we have talked to hospitals in the area directly about what supplies and equipment they need, and we have a great non profit partner Time4life. Time4life is a non profit organization that has done countless humanitarian missions regularly bringing aid to Syrian civilians from Italy.

What we will do with the Money

This project is truly life changing. It would provide medical staff and professionals with medical supplies they desperately need in order to treat the injured. The hospitals are not the ones that you would know in your home country, they are underground hospitals and makeshift clinics which are often in abandoned buildings, basements and schools to treat the hundreds injured. 

The upcoming winter season is an additional problem for the people of Syria who need to combat with temperatures reaching freezing and no access to gas, water or electricity. Surviving the winter seems impossible, but with our donation of warm clothes we will be able to provide them with a fighting chance to survive the winter.

The vans donated will prove beneficial as it would be used as ambulances and transportation to deliver medical supplies and the wounded to the hospitals and clinics. 

We are already collecting medical equipment and clothes, and are getting closer to reaching our goal everyday but we need your help to cover the costs of:

• 3 second hand Vans (which will be donated)
• Transportation (gas, road permits)
• Van insurance for the trip period (valid just for a month)
• Medical supplies: wheelchairs, neck braces, crutches, bandages. (More aid will help more people)

The Documentary film

We will be documenting our project from start to end so you can experience the whole journey with us to see what we see. With the footage we will produce a documentary which apart from bringing awareness to the conflict in Syria and its civilians, it will hopefully inspire people and show them that even a small group can make a big difference. The title of the project will be 3433 – The Road to Syria : 3433 is the distance in kilometres from Berlin to Aleppo. 

Non Profit Partners:

TIME 4LIFE 

http://www.time4life.it/

Was founded by Elisa Fangareggi in Modena, Italy. Their aim is to provide assistance to civilians affected by the war in Syria. They carry out humanitarian missions to assist civilians in Syria such as driving with humanitarian aid to hospitals, delivering used clothes and providing supplies to schools.

ACTION SYRIA

http://actionsyria.org/

Was found in November 2011, it is an association based in Berlin whose aim is to bring awareness to the conflict of Syria and its people, as well as fundraising projects in order to carry out humanitarian missions and support.

Accompanying journalists

Thomas Rassloff

http://www.rassloff.info/

Thomas is a Berlin based freelance photojournalist  whose main focus within the last 12 years has been the Middle East, working in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

Björn Kietzmann

http://www.freelens.com/bjoern-kietzmann

Björn Kietzmann is a Berlin based photographer/ journalist. He has worked for different newspapers, magazines and online media including the “Tagesspiegel”, “Taz”, “Spiegel” and “Vice”.  His work focuses mainly on political and social society issues, having travelled in 2013 to Syria to report on the catastrophic medical care in Aleppo and the traumatic effects for the Syrian children due to the war.”