Recent news has been inundated with the stories of Syrian refugees and their journeys to build better lives. One in particular, Safwan Harb – who fled two years ago with family members, lives in a camp known as Zaatari (which is monitored by the UN and Jordanian government).
Harb left Syria three years ago and came to Zaatari. He dreams of one day studying technology in the classroom. “If possible I would like to study technology because I have many ideas but not the academic learning,” he says, speaking to the BBC. Zaatari opened in 2012, after being assembled in just nine days, and since then has expanded rapidly – it started as a home for 100 families and now around 80,000 people live there. This makes it the largest refugee camp in the Middle East, and the second biggest in the world. Some have estimated there are 80 births in Zaatari every day.
Harb, who lives with disabilities – along with the rest of his family, found it difficult to get around on the camp’s uneven streets and so came up with a solution: a creative electric bicycle. Harb took a regular bicycle, and used spare parts to convert it into an accessible vehicle which allowed people with mobility disabilities to move with freedom and ease. Harb installed 12 volt batteries to power the bike, and guides it via the handlebars, which are equipped with brakes.
Harb notes: “Because of my disability, I’m forced to be creative and find ways to help me live my life as easily as possible, be it Syria or here, it’s the same.”
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