Rouba Saadeh, A Woman of Dreams

Rouba Saadeh is a woman who has always wanted to make an impact on the world. Growing up as the daughter of a Syrian immigrant in Lebanon, Rouba knew from an early age that she wanted to use her skills and knowledge to help others. Rouba holds a master’s degree in public policy and management, with specializations in international development and humanitarian assistance, from Cornell University. While pursuing her master’s degree at Cornell, Rouba also completed an accelerated Bachelor of Science degree at Cornell in Food Science and Technology. Throughout her education and professional career, Rouba has held several roles within the non-profit sector that have provided her with the experience needed to pursue her passion for helping people in need.

Basics of Rouba Saadeh

Rouba has had a passion for helping others since she was a little girl. As the daughter of a Syrian immigrant, Rouba has always seen the challenges that immigrants and refugees face. This has inspired her to bring aid and assistance to refugees and immigrants around the world. Rouba holds a master’s degree in public policy and management, with specializations in international development and humanitarian aid, from Cornell University. During her education, Rouba also completed an accelerated Bachelor of Science degree at Cornell in Food Science and Technology, with a minor in Business Administration. Rouba has held several roles within the non-profit sector that have provided her with the experience needed to pursue her passion for helping people in need.

The basic needs of Syrian Refugees

During the Syrian Civil War, millions of people have been displaced as they fled their homes to avoid the violence and destruction occurring in Syria. These individuals are referred to as Syrian refugees who have left Syria as a result of the war. They now reside in nearby countries such as Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq. Rouba worked within the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan to help Syrian refugees by assessing their needs and providing them the support and resources they required. She saw a need for an organization to provide access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities in the Zaatari Refugee Camp. The Zaatari Refugee Camp is currently home to around 80,000 Syrian refugees.

An idea is born: Chai and Co.

During her work with Syrian refugees, Rouba noticed that many of the refugees were unable to access clean water due to the lack of clean water sources and sanitation facilities inside the camps. Rouba saw an opportunity for clean water to be brought to the Zaatari Refugee Camp through a mobile water truck that could deliver clean water to the camp. Rouba brought her idea for a mobile water truck to life through her organization Chai and Co. Chai and Co. is an organization that is dedicated to providing sustainable water systems to people in need, whether they be refugees or people living in poverty in the United States. Chai and Co. have installed water kiosks that bring clean water to the Zaatari Refugee Camp by collecting rainwater. The kiosks are then used to provide clean water to the camp.

Serving the Ummah: Halal Bo

Halal Box is a subscription box service that delivers halal food items to Muslim consumers around the world. Rouba worked on this project during her time at Cornell University. Halal Box is a social enterprise that is dedicated to making halal food available to Muslims in the United States who might not be able to find halal food locally. Halal Box is able to provide these consumers with access to halal food through subscriptions that provide items like snacks, spices, nut butter, and other food items. Rouba helped launch Halal Box through Cornell’s incubator program. Halal Box is currently available in the United States.

Conclusion

Rouba is a woman who has always wanted to make an impact on the world. Growing up as the daughter of a Syrian immigrant in Lebanon, Rouba knew from an early age that she wanted to use her skills and knowledge to help others. During her time at Cornell University, Rouba developed a passion for helping Syrian refugees by assessing their needs and providing them with the support and resources they required. Rouba’s work with Syrian refugees inspired her to bring clean water to the Zaatari Refugee Camp through mobile water trucks. Rouba continues to use her skills and knowledge in an effort to support people in need, whether they are refugees or consumers in the United States.