Batul S. '23—Seasoned with Hope

"Families with small children in their arms were begging for food," said Batul. She discussed this with her family and decided to create Seasoned with Hope, a project linked to the Women Program Center-Rafah.

 

The Women Program Center-Rafah is a non-profit organization established in 1952 by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. It was established for women as a training center that would lead to jobs. The organization works with Palestinians and relies partially on donations from the UN member countries. Batul partnered with a Palestinian woman named Mrs. Najah, who worked with the agency providing food for these women and their children.

 

"I knew what to do. I would collect donations for Rafah, send it to them to buy food, and everyone who donated would receive a gift of a digital PDF of my grandmothers' and aunts' Middle Eastern recipes." Batul started this project nine months ago and has raised $10,000 from family, friends, social media pages, and her parent's colleagues.

 

Batul was born in Boston, Massachusetts, where her father attended Harvard University Business School. Her family moved to Los Angeles, where Batul enrolled in the Lower School in 2^nd Grade. Batul's brother Tayyeb '28 started in Pre-Kindergarten. Batul's mother and father are originally from Pakistan, and the family practices the Muslim religion. The family mosque is in Woodland Hills. Batul is a member of the Muslim Student Association and speaks four languages: Arabic, English, Gujrati, and Urdu.

 

If you are interested in learning more about Seasoned with Hope, Women Program Center-Rafah, or making a donation, please contact Batul at Batul.Saifee@scsstudent.org.