Many parts of Aleppo have been destroyed by Syria’s civil war, but a man named Rami Adham has been trying to bring some joy to kids in the area by delivering toys.
Many parts of Aleppo have been destroyed by Syria’s civil war, but a man named Rami Adham has been trying to bring some joy to kids in the area by delivering toys.
As such, he is commonly called the “toy smuggler” or “Santa of Syria.”
A recent NBC News report states that “the 44-year-old was born in Aleppo but grew up in Helsinki, Finland — where he now lives with his wife and six children.”
A few years ago, the aid worker planned to deliver food and medical supplies to the city when his daughter persuaded him to take toys as well.
He reportedly gave away 25 teddy bears and 36 Barbie dolls, with The Telegraph quoting him as saying, “...when we started giving away the toys, it created a huge fuss. Kids were coming from all over. I realised they weren’t thinking about food - they just wanted a toy.”
Since then, Adham has made about 28 trips into Syria carrying around 175 pounds of toys with him each time despite the dangers.
His efforts have resulted in the launch of a non-profit called the Finland Syria Community Association which oversees toy donations and sponsors other humanitarian efforts for local children.
