Most of us will have seen the heartbreaking images shared on social media and in the newspaper of the lifeless body of three-year old Aylan Kurdi, who was found washed up on a Turkish beach. An innocent child, just one of countless other children who have died trying to escape their war-torn home. I look at that photo and I don’t just see that one little boy, I see my own children. I see my little Sophie, who goes to sleep every night in almost exactly the same position that little Aylan was found in. Two little children, of similar ages. One fortunate enough to be born in a country that is currently at peace, where she can live in safety and play with her toys without fear. The other, born into a country at war and trying to escape horrors that I cannot even begin to imagine.
We do not choose where we are born. Had I not been lucky enough to be born where I was, this could have been my family. I could have been that poor mother who couldn’t swim. My children could have been two of those clinging to that boat, without life jackets because their family simply couldn’t afford to buy them. My husband could be the man mourning the loss of his entire family.
These are my fellow human beings. Ordinary families just like my own – living in fear and risking their lives because they happen to have been born into a country where a civil war has now been raging for the last four years. Aylan Kurdi, his mother Rehan and five-year-old brother Galip are just three of the estimated 220,000 people who have been killed since the start of the conflict – half of these thought to be civilians. According to figures from the United Nations, there are more than 4 million Syrian refugees and thousands are fleeing the country every day.
A little boy, washed up on a beach. This is the human face of the refugee crisis. I am ashamed to say that it has taken this kind of harrowing image to open my eyes to what it going on in the world. I have been guilty of being cocooned in my own little bubble of family life, enjoying so many simple things that so many others in this world are denied. It has been too easy to switch the channel, to turn over, to simply close my eyes to the suffering of others.
It is time for me to open my eyes and to do what I can to help. I have donated to Save the Children, I have added my name to petitions calling for Britain to take action and help those seeking refuge. I have been reading articles, such as this one in the Independent, to find other ways in which I can help. Today I am adding my voice to the many others in the blogging community and asking my readers to stop for a moment and think about what they can do to help.
We can choose to turn away from those harrowing images, to block them from our news feeds and to change channels. Or we can choose to help – even in just a small way. It takes just a moment to send a text message and donate to help save Syria’s children or to click on a website and do the same. Please don’t turn a blind eye to those in need.
You can text 70008 and the word SYRIA to donate £5 towards Save the Children’s efforts to help the children of Syria or visit their website at http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/about-us/emergencies/syria-appeal to donate. Terms and conditions can be found at http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/mobile-terms-and-conditions
#SaveSyriasChildren
I agree wholeheartedly with you. I didn’t want to see the unpixelated photo of those two boys but I am glad that I forced myself to look at it. To not look would have been ignorant. In a way I needed to see it to make it more real. I see it even when I shut my eyes and it is still just as heart breaking. I am not an activist – I am merely a mummy from North Wales – but like you I have signed petitions and would be more than willing to go on a march to present them to No10. I now demand action. As parents we all need to get involved and make our “Leaders” take some firm leadership (and compassionate) decisions. Good for you for putting this in your blog.
Thank you – I feel ashamed that it has taken images like this to make me aware of what is happening in the world, and to know that those two little boys were just two of many is utterly heart-breaking.
You’re right, these ARE children and families just like our own. It’s terrifying to think that our own children could have been living like the refugees, if they’d been born elsewhere.
It is such a sobering thought – we are very fortunate to have been born into a country that is currently at peace.
The numbers are utterly shocking aren’t they. Sophie sleeping in the same position must really hit home the similarities. We must all open our eyes xxx #SaveSyriasChildren
I was really shocked by them – it is awful really that it has taken such a heartbreaking image to finally make me aware of it all though x
You’re right. We could just change channels and ignore what is going on outside the comfort of our home, but what if it was us? xxx
It is too easy to close our eyes to it all and so sad that it takes such a heartbreaking image to make us aware of what is happening.