I often write to you asking for support either in helping refugee families, to inform you about an emergency or to share updates on the impact of your donation. But today is unlike any other day, as we mark World Humanitarian Day, and on this occasion, I wanted to share with you a message of gratitude from the heart.
“It takes a Village” to help people in crisis, is the theme of this year’s World Humanitarian Day. And while we at times might feel helpless in the face of the growing humanitarian needs around the world or find it hard to understand the impact of our support, I want to share with you a glimpse of a few moments I’ve been part of, while meeting the families we support, as a way to thank you for being there for those in need.
As a mother myself, the most difficult part of my job is talking to refugee parents who live each day with constant fear and worry of how to keep their children safe and secure their next meal or rent. I have seen a mother lovingly braiding her daughter’s hair, while the little girl joyfully stared at herself in the mirror, adoring the new colored head band her mother finally bought her, while knowing that all the mother could think of at that moment, beyond her daughters’ joy, was how to secure food for dinner.
In one of my recent family visits, I met a beautiful refugee family of five. The father who works to provide for his sick wife and three children told me how his youngest child was being bullied by other kids, and how it breaks his heart to see his son sad. That night, he made sure to buy chicken for dinner, to put a smile on his son’s face, even though he knew this meant that they wouldn’t be able to afford anything other than rice and yogurt for all their other meals until the end of the month. Leaving their home, I was brought to tears, as I remembered the sacrifices of this loving father and the heartbreak he carried so gracefully.
While these stories leave us feeling sad, they are also what motivate me and give me the drive to come to you and ask again and again for your help; help you never fail to give.
So today as we mark this important day, I wanted to thank you and remind you, that while you might not be a superhero like you see in the movies, but you are a hero to me and to the many whose lives you have helped make better. Together we are making a difference and bringing hope to those who have lost everything in the blink of an eye.
Today we celebrate you and every person making a difference… thank you, for being part of our village.
Marie Josee Karam,
Major Donors Relations