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This is a sponsored post. It's also an exposé of sorts. It exposes my ignorance when it comes to global issues, thanks to the first world bubble that I live in. And for anyone else as ill informed as I was, it exposes the dire crisis that more than one million Syrian children are currently living, and have been for more than a year. I was approached to write a post about UNICEF's Syria Crisis Appeal. Now, I know there is stuff happening in Syria. I'm aware the situation is dire. Ignorantly, I couldn't actually tell you exactly what was happening or why. Because I don't watch the news. It's on when I'm preparing dinner and yell/managing the kids into showers, homework, pyjamas, eating dinner and then bed. I just don't get the chance...and besides, there's just so much bad news... So while I'm more than happy to write about a worthy cause, I did have to do some Googling of news sites to really understand what I was supposed to be writing about. And for that I am ashamed. I whine and complain that my kids spend too much time playing with their toys, running around and making noise, messing up their rooms. Mothers in Syria are trying to keep their children safe and alive, at the most basic level. I complain about my kids taking too long to eat their dinner. Mothers in Syria isn't sure what or if she'll feed her children that night. I lose my cool when the kids take too long to get ready for school, then get a little road ragey fighting traffic to get them to school on time (don't even get me started on the lack of parking around the school). A year ago, fourteen school children in Syria were tortured for speaking their mind. Since then, the violence has escalated and UNICEF estimates that upwards of 500 children have died as a result of the conflict. It is too dangerous to go to school. Can you imagine? I certainly couldn't have, in my sheltered life, before reading about it. Humanitarian organisations are unable to cross the border into Syria to help. I can only imagine the sense of helplessness, of desperation and devastation that families in Syria must be living, every single day. UNICEF is helping those who have escaped across the borders into Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. Syrian children are able to attend temporary schools. There is counseling available for those who are struggling with the massive trauma and upheaval, the constant uncertainty their lives have been thrown into. And here I am at home, saying yes to a sponsored post about Syria, because I know something bad is happening over there. I can't even tell you how ashamed I am of my own ignorance. And when school resumes here tomorrow, I won't whine and complain about traffic, parking, how long it takes my kids to get ready. I'm just going to be thankful. Syria Crisis Appeal "Two million Syrian people have been forced to flee their home country. Half of them are children. They need shelter, clean water, medicine and food."
