New Canaan-based Blossom Hill Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to fund innovative ideas to help children affected by conflict in the Middle East, will hold its Holiday Bazaar 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Carriage Barn in Waveny (tickets here). In addition to holiday shopping offerings from 20-plus vendors, the fundraiser features live music, auction items and food and wine.
We put some questions to Blossom Hill founder and Executive Director Shiva Sarram ahead of the event.
Here’s our exchange.
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New Canaanite: For those who are unfamiliar with Blossom Hill Foundation, please tell our readers about why you founded the organization and what it does.
Shiva Sarram
Shiva Sarram: As a child of war, I fled Iran at a very young age and came to the United states in fourth grade. I had to turn my back on my home, my grandparents, aunts,uncles, cousins, friends, teachers, and prize possessions including my sticker collection. On the plane, I realized that we may never come back to my home country – a country that had given us so much but was destroyed by a war. Right there I had a calling – I told myself “If I make it, I will find a way to give back.”
And that’s what I did. I founded Blossom Hill in 2009 to empower children caught in the crossfire of conflict. These young souls, often overlooked, carry the weight of shattered communities and severed family ties. Many find themselves adrift in foreign lands, while those who return home face a landscape barren of opportunity and healing. The reality we face is stark: one in every five children worldwide—a staggering 468 million—now lives in a country affected by armed conflict and war. In the Middle East, that number rises to one in three children. Additionally, of all people displaced due to conflict and persecution, over 40 percent are under the age of 18. These statistics underscore the critical nature of our mission, but they also highlight an amazing opportunity. At Blossom Hill, we invest in education for peace by implementing life-changing initiatives through our Fellowship Program for social entrepreneurs. They are the one and only program of their kind in the communities we serve.
What is Blossom’s Hill reach? How does the organization measure success?
Over the last 15 years, Blossom Hill has invested almost $2.5 million supporting over 130,000 war-affected children, ages 0 – 24, in 25 countries. These are not just numbers—they are individual children who stay in our programs for many years and whose life trajectories we follow to ensure they are thriving. We measure our success by ensuring our programs are evidence-based, scalable, replicable and sustainable within their local communities. We measure this in both quantitative and qualitative terms. Reaching over 130,000 children and youth with a mere $2.5 million gives us an excellent ROI. But we also track the progress of our students, compare their progress to peers who were not enrolled in our programs, and make improvements where needed.
Talk to us about Blossom Hill’s nimbleness. We recently marked the grim first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas War. What has the organization been able to do to help children caught in that armed conflict?
When the Israel-Hamas war broke out, we immediately deployed critical programs in Israel and Gaza. In Israel, we provided psychosocial therapy for Arab-Israeli children and families who were being stigmatized. In Gaza, we provided emergency psychosocial therapy (play, art and music therapy) at our Blossom Hill Shelter in Gaza. We also provided education initiatives, clothing, and psychosocial support to injured children evacuated to Turkey for surgery. One example is Baylasan, a 10-year old girl who lost her leg in Gaza and was operated on in Istanbul. We helped her healing with education and psychosocial therapy and now she is resettling in Belgium. “God took something from me when I was little, but he will give me a big beautiful thing when I grow up,” she says.
How is Blossom Hill supported? How important is the Holiday Bazaar to those efforts?
Blossom Hill is supported by donations from individual philanthropists, from small dollar to large dollar donations, as well as some matching corporate contributions.The bazaar and auction combined are our only 4th quarter fundraising event. Their success determines how much we can deploy next year to support our programs. We would be grateful for any support at any dollar range to sustain and grow our programs.
What can attendees to the second annual Holiday Bazaar expect to find at Carriage Barn on Nov. 21?
Attendees can expect to find over 20 exclusively-sourced vendors who will provide ample choices for everyone on your shopping list—whether you are shopping for holiday hostess gifts, teachers gifts or personal gifts. Our vendors include a wide array of jewelry, handbags, clothing, home goods, gourmet foods among others. Attendees will also enjoy delicious food, wine and live music in a very festive setting. It’s truly a night of family fun!