An appeal…Are you a parent refugee on transit or living in a temporary camp?

I sat in front of my computer ready to write a blog on the Covid-19 pandemic and refugee families. I was planning to write about the difficulties the refugee parents in transit or in temporary refugee camps must have in terms of socially (physically is probably more correct) distancing in overcrowded places, the difficulties they may have in terms of hygiene as for example frequent hand washing, the frequent washing of clothes, hard and soft surfaces, of wearing and safely disposing used masks, of being tested promptly in case of being in contact with someone who develops the disease, of having access to medical intensive care and so on. I was going to repeat some of the advice which is around regarding the care of their children and the support the need and/or have or have not.

Then I realised that whatever I say, it can be said better and it will have a bigger impact if this was coming from someone with lived in experience rather than someone like me who is sitting is her comfortable home with all the creature comforts I need. So here’s the deal: This blog needs YOU! This blog needs the voices of refugee parents, it needs your description of the challenges you face, it needs you to tell the world about your suffering, about your wishes. Let’s be political! What do you want governments to do for you. Ask big as this is the time that you are most likely to be heard. The more voices we have the better. I know that the health carers, the volunteers, the administrators etc who are camp based do their best to provide you the basics for life and living, but they cannot bring about the changes that YOU believe are needed. Now more than ever, you must make your voices heard in big numbers.

I INVITE YOU TO USE THIS BLOG AS A VEHICLE FOR CHANGE. AS AN INSTRUMENT WHICH CAN INFORM THE POWERFUL, THE DECISION MAKERS, THE ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COUNTRIES YOU LIVE, ABOUT YOUR NEEDS, WANTS, CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS.

I look forward to hearing some loud voices.

Irena Papadopoulos