School of the Nations on Wednesday handed over US$5,000 ($1 million) to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to benefit children affected by the ongoing crisis in Syria.
According to a press release from UNICEF, the funds were raised by the students, parents and alumni of the school through a number of activities which began in November last year. The school raises funds each year for various projects, but was inspired to dedicate this year’s fundraising efforts to the children of Syria.
During the handing over ceremony, UNICEF Representative for Guyana and Suriname Marianne Flach emphasized that some children in Syria have grown up knowing only war, and that children as young as seven years old are recruited to fight. The release said she commended the students of School of the Nations for their work in making the donation possible, saying: “The fact that you have been thinking of those children and raised such a significant amount is heartwarming.”
In addition to the donation, the students also designed and made cards with greetings and words of encouragement for the children in Syria. The cards will be sent to a refugee camp in Lebanon to be distributed by an NGO that works closely with UNICEF there, the release said.
Principal of the school, Pamela O’Toole noted that the school plans to continue its fundraising efforts for Syria and other humanitarian projects because the needs are ongoing.
The release said students of the school were encouraged to become more aware of world affairs, and pay attention to what was happening to children who are the same age as them and even younger.
March 14 marked the fifth anniversary of the conflict in Syria. According to a UNICEF report released to mark the anniversary, an estimated 3.7 million Syrian children – 1 in 3 of all Syrian children – have been born since the conflict began five years ago, their lives shaped by violence, fear and displacement. In total, UNICEF estimates that some 8.4 million children are now affected by the conflict, either inside the country or as refugees in neighbouring countries.
The fundraising initiative garnered just over one million Guyana dollars. President of the Interact Club, Damani Fields said that it is important to look beyond the statistics, “try to imagine that these are your family members who have been killed, injured or forced to flee their homes and everything they have built, because of a crisis that they didn’t have any control over.”
“It was an eye opener for all of us” said Aliyah Andrews, a student who participated in the Market Day activities, “not only did it get us involved in making a difference, it encouraged us to make others both in and outside of our school aware of what was going on…we as children are the future and the ones to make a difference.”
