To bring a smile back to the faces of children caught in the refugee crisis, AKF hosted ‘Eid for Change’ — an Eid fun day for children living in the Softex refugee camp in Greece.

With the on-going Refugee Crisis, children from Syria and beyond have had their childhoods severely impacted by arduous journeys across Europe. Fleeing from war, political unrest and economic deprivation, they have all left their homes behind to endure thousands of miles on foot or through testy waters on overcrowded rubber dinghies.
This series of unrelenting and damaging events has often greatly affected the psyche of children who have made this journey. Witnessing death, destruction and war trauma; disrupted education and health support; and the loss of familiar social structures, means the vulnerability of these children has increased exponentially due to the crisis – posing questions over long term psychological impact.

To bring a smile back to the faces of these children, Programme Officers Stefan, Aylish, Halima and Anna, alongside a team of dedicated AKF volunteers, hosted ‘Eid for Change’ — an Eid fun day for vulnerable children living in Softex refugee camp in Greece.

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We have already been providing daily meals to the refugees, and this fun day provided children with a much needed opportunity to enjoy themselves and have fun through bouncy castles, face painting and henna. Balloons, sweet treats and gift packs were also distributed to the children.

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The day provided a brief reprieve from the hardships that these children have endured, and continue to face — giving them a chance to express their youthful exuberance.

What these children have seen and experienced, will undoubtedly have had a significant psycho-social impact on them. Through this Eid fun day they were able to have fun, play, and actually enjoy their childhood in an testing environment which would otherwise not typically allow for this to occur.

Click here to find out more about Al-Khair Foundation’s Refugee Appeals or our Vulnerable People Support Programmes.

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