On the 20th November, we celebrated Universal Children's Day, a global day established by the UN to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improve children's welfare.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will all be aware of the Syria crisis, (aka the worlds biggest humanitarian disaster), as well as the devastating affects it has had on the people in Syria and surrounding areas. To give you an idea of numbers, UN reports show that 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, 4.59 million people are living in neighbouring countries, and 2.1 million children are living as refugees.
There is an incredible need for development of skills in young people and children living a refugees and affected by the conflict. It is also important to acknowledge that, while pre-conflict figures once put Syrian child enrolment in formal school at over 95%, strong evidence suggests that this proportion was reduced drastically due to the conflict, with figures indicating that up to 90% of Syrian youth aged between 16-24 are out of education. These people are often referred to as a ‘lost generation’, however our programmes find young Syrians to be full of energy, passion and hope.
We believe in the transformative power of capoeira, and believe every child has the right to music, sport & play.
We believe in the transformative power of capoeira, and believe every child has the right to music, sport & play. We create a safe space which harnesses this passion to empower individuals which, in turn strengthens their capacity to help address the many challenges facing society, build local leadership skills that mobilise communities to create their own positive change, and find hope in conflict…We cannot do this alone! Despite many challenges, we are supported by numerous donors who want to create more opportunities for us to provide the crucial psychosocial support and skills development needed within refugee camps.
We are so grateful to everyone who supports us, but we have big dreams to do even more. Yes, Universal Children's Day IS a celebration, but the day also marks a call to action for accelerating a globally inclusive approach to further tackling how we can help young people better. The story of the struggle to help young people achieve viable pathways to skills development, prosperity, health, and well-being belongs to no one person, government or organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights. A small donation of £5 will help one child through a class. Please will you help us today?
