Essam Jazzar was 16 and in his junior year at KAA when an idea came to him to build something meaningful that could counter the persistent news of humanitarian crises and hopelessness in the Middle East and the toll this is taking on the mental health of his Palestinian family and friends. Inspired by his school counselor’s emphasis on leadership and mental-health awareness, Essam collaborated with two classmates to start Men-Talk-Mind –- a space for classmates to talk freely, to identify and consider popular misconceptions on social media regarding the state of men’s mental health, and to know that they’re not alone.
Looking for more expansive ways to give back, to make a positive change in his community and beyond, Essam conceived of building a brand of apparel that could be used to deliver meaningful and uplifting messages of peace, hope, and resilience. In his words, “When I think about what really means the most to me, it’s not just a one-time giving-back activity; it is the on-going journey of building something bigger than myself.”
Finding a kindred and enterprising spirit in Hussein Allami, the friends prepared a well-reasoned proposal requesting a school study hall that would provide a space in which to develop and bring their vision to fruition. At the core of this vision was their goal to uplift beleaguered areas and peoples of the Middle East. Their enthusiasm and clarity of purpose convinced KAA’s principal to provide them with the study hall.
Getting down to work and inspired by the comfort and familiarity of ordinary Arab streetwear, they created a website that offers a brand of clothing that broadcasts the slogan, “Where fashion meets compassion”. Essam is the driving force that launched their online Peace Collection which pledges that “every piece we design carries an uplifting message and that every project we take on has one goal: To spread love, hope, and a sense of community.” The overall mission of Essam’s enterprise is to produce sufficient revenue to provide support for humanitarian causes and especially to help refugee camps all over the Middle East.
Already profitable, Essam’s Peace Collection brand has gained popularity among youth in the U.S. and worldwide and provided the means for Essam and Hussein to fund relief efforts in Morocco and Malaysia. Responding to Morocco’s devastating earthquake in 2023, Essam created the Dima* Morocco (“Morocco forever”) shirt, raising $3,500 for earthquake victims that they donated through the Islamic Relief Fund. Then, in the summer of 2024, they shifted to the plight of orphans and sponsored Haikal, a 6-year-old Malaysian orphan, for whom they provided the funds needed for Haikal’s education, food, water, and shelter for one year.
Apart from the time-intensive work on his entrepreneurial PEACE apparel enterprise, Essam volunteers for Heartful Healings for the prevention of heart disease in underserved communities, and also as a flag-football coach for inner-city kids through the DC-based nonprofit, Fight for Children. He has found his mentoring of the kids to be especially meaningful, recognizing that “sometimes all that’s needed is for someone to believe in them.” Essam will be directing his Peace Awards donation to the Islamic Relief Fund.