For the first six months of the
year we have been working hard to raise an awareness of the plight of children
in real crisis and to offer support to those young people. In January we
visited and worked in the ‘Jungle’ in Calais where we witnessed the appalling
conditions faced by children who have been displaced by war.
Over the first three months we
also visited churches and other organisations from Edinburgh to Epping to give
talks and to meet and discuss with some wonderful people the situation for
children in crisis.
Over the last three months we
have been in the Holy Land working in close cooperation with some great
schools, hospitals and alongside some absolutely dedicated and fine
professionals whose sole aim is to alleviate the suffering of children and to
‘lift’ them up by offering good education and medical care. It has been such a
privilege to be able to be part of this. This has only been made possible by
the generosity and kindness of people in the UK and other parts of the world
who have offered financial support, financial support which has gone directly
to the care of children’s education and medical needs.
It is difficult to quantify the
success of this but to see children improving emotionally, medically or educationally.
To be able to offer safe accommodation away from abuse. To see young people
graduating from school. To see one young man working so hard that he, in his
first year at University, came out top of the whole University in his subject.
To see smiles instead of sadness. Maybe these few things for a few children
indicate that lives can be improved with some gentle intervention. All of this,
however, can only be achieved by listening and operating without naiveté.
Thank you to all who have given
of themselves so generously whether it be financially or in other equally
important ways. It has and will continue to make a huge difference to some
young lives with a hope that help given now will make a difference to the
future not only of these children but also of many others.
