Starting a nonprofit takes a substantial amount of leadership, time and effort. Migrating to Jordan and then to the United States from Iraq during the Iraq War, senior Ibraheem Razouki has gone through the struggles himself and understands the challenges refugees face. Through his nonprofit organization, Razouki aims to provide refugees relief and positively impact the global refugee crisis.
“The organization was founded with my cofounder Zane Asadi, my previous peer back at DeBakey High School in March 2022,” Razouki said. “We host all sorts of events from clothing drives, school supply drives for refugees, teaching refugees STEM and English and developing software to aid refugees.”
It all started in his sophomore year when Asadi and Razouki were twiddling their thumbs thinking about what they could do to start positive initiatives to help the community that specifically related to their background. With both students coming from the Middle East with a migrant background, their nonprofit idea came to light.
“We thought, ‘Why not create an organization that engages the youth and helps migrants assess something we haven’t seen at all?’” Razouki said.
Aim to Aid has assisted over 3,000 refugees worldwide, raised over $30,000 and donated over 5,000 items. Aim to Aid won the T-Mobile Changemakers challenge competition and was recognized by the President’s Volunteer Service Award Committee where Aim to Aid became a certified organization and earned five PVSA awards. Razouki received a congressional proclamation announcing April 20th as Ibraheem Razouki day by Congressman Wesley Hunt and was credited as a National Points of Light Honoree by George H.W. Bush and Points of Light. He received four Gold Presidential Volunteer Service
awards from President Joe Biden. Razouki and his peer from DeBakey High School, Mihir Relan, hosted a TEDx event on Sept. 9 at The Ion in Houston owned by Rice University. Razouki, Relan and other speakers from across the country educated kids on launching their own entrepreneurship ventures to benefit the community.
“We had over 100 attendees,” Razouki said. “We partnered with many local and international clubs, Chick-fil-A, Canes and some other community sponsors.”
Razouki aims to raise $50,000 by the end of 2023, donate 20,000 items, start 20 international chapters and get into at least half of the United States. In the long-term, Razouki wants to work with the United Nations and develop Aim to Aid’s software.
“In the future I want to work with the United Nations,” Razouki said. “That is the key group that I hope Aim to Aid can work with, as well as any other governments that are heavily involved in addressing the micro-crisis.”
