Tag: refugee

Kids help refugees with charity walk

A charity walk on November 15 hopes to help refugee children. Involving children from all over Cyprus, the event is receiving enthusiastic feedback and support.

Founded by a group of young Limassol mothers, the initiative ‘Bearfoot children helping children’, a sponsored walk by children with their teddy bears which will then be donated to refugee children, seems set to leave footprints of the most positive kind.

The image of a little Syrian boy who had drowned during his family’s attempt to flee war seen by the world in early September shocked many people and inspired numerous initiatives to help.

One group of young Limassol mothers also felt compelled to ‘do something’, but also wanted to involve their children to make them understand just how fortunate they are to live comfortable and sheltered lives.

The women are of various nationalities, and are connected to each other through their children.
From their very first small meeting at one mother’s house it had become evident that this was going to develop into something big – and it did.

The walk

The 1km walk will take place on November 15 with the participation of children from all over Cyprus.
They will bring along one of their own teddy bears to take part in the walk to then be donated to refugee children in Cyprus and Greece. The children are asked to find sponsors for their walk and will receive a certificate for their participation.

They will leave at 11am from the Beachside Pedestrian Pathway near PlusSea Lifestyle Bar and finish at St Raphael Resort where an after-party will be organised for the participants and the general public, with children’s activities, free entertainment, a raffle with generously-donated prizes and stalls.

“The great interest and support by so many have been truly inspiring,” says Sarah, one of the initiative’s core members. “We set a goal of raising €25,000 which we are now set to surpass.”
Sponsors coming from all walks of life, businesses small and large and individuals have all stepped forward to help; the main sponsor is the Grammar School Limassol, gold sponsors are David Steps – Kickers, The English School and ÖL Shipping Group.

Thanks to the power of social media and the varied backgrounds of the organisers’ families, individuals outside of Cyprus, including a marathon runner in Athens, a group in India and a young teenager in England, are arranging to do smaller walks in their countries to raise money.
All information concerning the event has been put out in Greek and English ,turning the walk into a sign of solidarity across the island.

The organisers hope that the very positive feedback and support of the idea of involving and educating children from an early age to become socially responsible citizens will be carried forward after the event.

The contributions

It was important for the Bearfoot initiative to choose a worthwhile children’s charity that was registered, transparent and helping refugee children. All of the money raised will be given to the international non-profit organisation Save the Children and their Child Refugee Crisis Appeal.
The organisation has been working with refugee children for almost a century.

This year alone, over 95,000 children have arrived in Europe, nearly 10% of them without any family.

“No child should be left behind – thank you to all those who are working hard on the Bearfoot – Teddy Bear Walk and are donating their money and time. You are all showing such generosity and eagerness to support child refugees,” says Save the Children spokesperson Helena Wiltshire.
Donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/bearfootchildren. To register an e-mail should be sent to bearfootchildren@gmail.com.

Beirut charity is lifeline for injured refugee children

Refugee children badly hurt in accidents occurring outside of war zones are being overlooked by charities whose funding criteria only allows them to offer free medical treatment to those wounded directly by war, a Beirut-based nonprofit has warned.

Children with complex and costly injuries are being excluded because they do not fit the funding criteria of mainstream NGOs, said Arwa Damon, founder of International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance (INARA), which launched in August.

“There are a number of reasons why these gaps [in medical care] exist. Either because the parents don’t know how to navigate the system, or the NGO they are in touch with doesn’t provide certain services,” said Damon. “A lot of organisations won’t take on the cases because they don’t have the capacity or the mandate.”

There are more than 1 million Syrians in Lebanon registered by the UN’s refugee agency. A July report found only between 24 and 36 per cent of Syrian refugees thought medical care in Lebanon was affordable, and offered access to specialists and health information.

INARA seeks to offer free treatment to refugee children with overlooked injuries, often caused by the fallout of conflict, such as burns from exploding gas canisters in refugee tents. The nonprofit began taking on cases a year ago, before its launch in August.

The charity employs two full-time caseworkers to assess the needs of each child. This can range from connecting parents to existing health charities, to liaising with doctors to provide pro bono surgery, and funding the cost of transport and post-surgery care such as physiotherapy. The doctors give their time for free, while the American University of Beirut Medical Center provides the facilities at a discount.

To date, 28 cases have been referred to INARA, of which the nonprofit has taken on 15. Each caseworker handles around eight cases at a time, liaising with the doctors and hospitals and providing reassurance and support for traumatised children and parents, said Damon. Almost all the cases involve Syrian refugees; the majority suffering with burn injuries.

The treatment is funded by donations, and the cost can range from $200 to $20,000 per case, depending on the injury and aftercare needed. The average case is $3,800, according to the organisation. INARA estimates it will spend about $450,000 a year on medical treatment and care costs.

“There are severe gaps [in care] when it comes to burn cases,” said Damon, who is also a correspondent for CNN. “Many organisations won’t take cases that need reconstructive surgery, but it is vital to a child being able to live a semi-normal life.”

In one such case, a 12-year-old girl was left with such acute burns on her lower body she hadn’t gone to the bathroom on her own for three years. She had been standing next to a gas stove when a bomb hit her house in Syria and, a year later, boiling water was accidentally spilled on her in a refugee camp in Lebanon, making the injury worse. She stopped going to school. Her case was referred to INARA who funded the operations she needed.

“We’re never going to completely get rid of [the injury], but at the very least she can go to the bathroom on her own,” said Damon. “She has that dignity back.”

In another case, INARA funded eye surgery for 1-year-old Elena, born with severe cataracts because her mother had been malnourished during pregnancy, when their city fell under siege. If left untreated, the girl would have gone blind.

The charity hopes to grow to four full-time caseworkers, allowing INARA to aid 120 patients a year, and expand its work to Jordan and Turkey. Damon currently funds all the charity’s running costs herself, but is seeking donors to help support INARA’s annual $125,000 budget.

“You’re giving the children back dignity and the ability to function,” said Damon. “You’re never going to completely erase [the injuries], but it is our responsibility to come as close to it as possible.”