Saturday 5 September 2015

Save Syria's Children

It Could Have Been Me #SaveSyriasChildren


I don't think I need to tell you what this blog post is about.  I don't think I need to mention that photo.  This week the refugee crisis in Syria has become pretty much all anyone is talking about.  Of course, it has been happening for years.  All summer long we have heard about drownings and deaths due to people fleeing their homes in an attempt to seek safety.  It took one distressing photograph to bring this to a head though.

I am a mother.  Seeing the photograph of that darling little boy washed up on a beach broke my heart.  It is stuck in my head on replay.  Every time I close my eyes I see him.  My thoughts when I saw that photo were "What if?"  What if that were my child?  Ever since becoming a parent I've been plagued by the thought that I might loose my children.  That they might go to sleep one night and never wake again.  That a car will run them over.  That they will get cancer.  Those things could happen, of course they could, and I pray they don't.. but.. but, due to where I live, in a comfortable home, with a regular income and with little threat to my safety, I can be pretty sure my child isn't going to die at sea after a desperate attempt to reach a safe place.

So much happens in this world of ours that I feel helpless to change.  So often we are caught up in the minutiae of our daily lives.  Getting the kids to school, getting food on the table, trying to keep up with hobbies, friends, family, our fitness.  Something about this photograph has made almost all of us stop and think for a moment though.  It's like that saying, "There but for the grace of God go I".  If we had been born elsewhere, we might not be worrying about whether we will be 1 minute late for school but if we will even make it down our street alive.

This week I have been struck by the desire to do SOMETHING to help in this crisis.  I am not in a position to take a refugee in to my home.  I don't have a heap of spare money.  What I do have, though, is a small social media presence.  I am part of a wonderful community of bloggers and together we are hoping to make a difference.  There are various ways we can help in this crisis, there's an Amazon wish list that has been set up to help refugees in Calais.  There are various charities offering to collect up care packages (spare clothing, toys, toiletries, food) and charities like Save The Children are accepting donations to help the refugees.

As for us, we are trying to raise awareness and encourage donations by sharing photographs of our children.  It's a small and simple thing to do but we hope one that will attract attention and draw donations in.  Because we need people to know about this.  We need them to be educated and we need to help in any way we can.  We are human,  The refugees are human.  They are in need and we CAN help.

#SaveSyriasChildren

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Save The Children - Syria Appeal

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