I open the window blind and I see a foggy world. The moment felt different because for once I didn't feel like the world needed to make any sense. The world didn't make any sense.
No matter the weather, I still decided to go for a jog. As I run under the rain, the cold wind hits my face, the rain drops on my head and nose -a small memory hits me like a flash back.
I suddenly see myself on a summer afternoon back in the 90's, when I am 6 years old. I am at the playground and building a sand castle, but I am alone. All the other kids are running around, screaming and laughing. Seeing myself playing all by myself I remember something. I remember that I did not know anything about the world I know today. I did not know anything about the world I am originally from. I did not know anything about the world we live in. I did not know what it meant to worry or suffer. I knew one thing, and it was that I was free to do whatever I wanted.
I was only a child and that meant that the world needed to love me and care for me as much as I needed.
But this is not for every child.
We are living in the 21st century and yet we see suffering children every single day. The worst part is not that they are living in bad conditions, the worst part is that we see them walking on their bare feet without a shelter and we are not doing anything about it. Innocent children are in the battlefield as our shields.
"Kurdish children don't know how to be children, they act as if they know everything. They skip the age of knowing what being little is. They act like they are the protectors. And they are willing and always will look on the bright side."
-Ashna A. Wasman
What does it mean to be a child? Humanium -Help the Children defines a child as the following: "Etymologically, the term “child” comes from the Latin infans, which means ” the one who does not speak “. For the Roman, this term designates the child from its birth, up to the age of 7 years." If the definition of a child is one that does not speak, then how can they tell us they are suffering? They can't. It is our responsibility, the worlds responsibility to nourish a child in a way that promises them a brighter day and a brighter future.
What happens when we don't guarantee them a safe life?
"Kurdish children are not suffering from a natural disaster, being abandoned or for being homeless. Their role is to survive a war. A war, which has been going on forever and protect their fellow siblings through it. Even the ones living outside of Kurdistan, who have escaped war and have managed to be taken in by other countries, they struggle too. They struggle to explain to their friends what and where Kurdistan is and where they originate and why they had to leave. Kurdish children are the strongest ones and Kurds have it in their blood to keep fighting for their nation and it runs through each and every generation. It's amazing that Kurdistan is not officially on a map and all the Kurds are separated and scattered around the world, they are all united as one spirit. All our thoughts are with these babies, our babies. I pray for them all the time. They didn't do anything to deserve what they are going through, but they will fight against it and keep the Kurdish faith running through their veins for the Future Kurdish Generation."
-Joanne Abbassi-Nejad
As Miss Joanne put it, the role of the Kurdish Children is to survive a war -an ongoing war. What makes me wonder is that since when being innocent is for the privileged ones? Since when a child has to live inside the European union or the states to be cared for, to be protected, to have the right to breath and live in peace? We feel sorry for them but we refuse to help, we refuse to plan a better future if it does not directly concern us.
The future doesn't lie in the hands of a 6 years old child who has an iPad to play with, a warm bed to sleep in, a healthy breakfast he gets or a school he attends. The future lies in the hands of a child that has nothing but still survives the war, sleeps during the cold dark night, barely eats. That is where our future is and will be.
I don't know for how long the West will close their eyes for the injustice that is happening in the same world, not in light-years away. Our children are scared to live every single moment of their life.
Imagine if your own child didn't have their safe haven, their own safe surrounding where they can play with their dolls, laugh and run as much as they want. What if your child's future was All so Black in White? I can bet, that is the moment when you open your eyes and do your best to guarantee them a brighter future. What kind of a parent you would, if you did not do that?
Well imagine these are your kids.
Imagine that these two little children are in the middle of a war, and their only playground is the battlefield and each second could be their last.
Forget the iPads, the dolls and even shoes, but focus on their face expressions. These two little angels don't even realize what is happening, because they don't know any better. All they know is today.
What if we can give them also tomorrow? We can. Every passing day we have the possibility to change their life, and their future. We can give them shelter and not just in our hearts, we can give them a smile that lasts longer than a minute - a life time, and mostly we can give them a real life. A life every child in the world deserves.
The Children of Kurdistan deserves a colorful life just as our flag.
Long live #Kurdistan !
The pictures with name of Rekar Hiwa are his property and they are used with his permission. For more information: Rekar Hiwa.
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