SYRIAN refugees who have made their home in Dawlish prepared a special lunch to support their homeland in the wake of the devastating earthquake.

Mum-of-four Jamila Al Matar, who moved to Dawlish in 2016 with her husband and two eldest children, was behind the fund-raising lunch which featured authentic Syrian dishes.

More than 40 people enjoyed the food at the lunch held at the Strand Centre. Jamila was helped by fellow Syrians Ghaliya Kadi and her daughter Abeet.

They put together a lunch which included falafels, chicken and almonds, tabouleh and a desert.

Jamila, who now works at a Dawlish school, explained: ‘I am so happy to some here to be safe and for my family and children to be safe.

‘My village in Syria is now affected by the earthquake but we wanted to help and I know people who have been affected and I wanted to help them.

‘It is so terrible, it has broken my heart to see it - this money we raise will be going to help people I know.’

Syrian food feast at the Strand Centre
(Syrian food feast at the Strand Centre)

Jamila, whose two youngest children were born in the UK, said she knew of one family whose young daughter had lost an arm and needs money to help with providing a prosthetic limb.

She said any money would also help to provide milk and nappies for children and warm blankets. Jamila, who comes from a village called Idlib in Syria which is not near the quake zone, and Ghaliya came to the UK to settle as refugees as part of a Government programme to help during the Syrian war.

Ghaliya, who has children with learning difficulties, was able to come to the town as it has specialist education which was appropriate for her children.

Jamila said: ‘We like Dawlish, there is a good community good people, we feel safe, which is most important to us, and the people are so friendly.

‘It is an amazing place for me and my children, they love it.’

Both women saw the move to Dawlish as an opportunity for their families. Jamila, who has become involved with the Strand Centre through friends, said the lunch was a chance to raise vital funding for her homeland.