Now is time to help all the Syrians

Following the Turkish-Syrian earthquake last February, we were deeply moved by your immediate and generous response to this tragedy. As your donations came in, we were in constant contact with our partners in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria, deciding how to best provide immediate and practical help to those most in need.  In the first three days, we brought sandwiches, milk and medicines to areas yet to be reached by the police and other organisations. As aid became more organised and widespread, we have been focusing mainly on children’s needs.

Hundreds of children had lost or had unsuitable shoes, and as it was winter, it quickly became a priority to provide shoes for as many children as possible. Through our contacts, we purchased boys' and girls' shoes from a local factory; each pair costs between $4 and $8 dollars. The shoes were distributed in schools and buildings where the earthquake victims sought shelter.

As you can see from the photos during one of our many distributions, the children were delighted to receive a brand-new pair of sports or daily shoes each.

Good quality shoes insulate the children from the cold and dirt, protecting them from accidents and illness. Thanks to you, the children we helped were able to walk, run, jump, play with their friends and eventually go to school, keeping warm, dry and hopefully safe.

One week after the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the aftermath is horrendous. More than 41,000 dead, and 1.3 million are displaced. Our partners are organizations and individuals we know personally and who have been active in Aleppo for years. Knowing the city’s reality from within is the first step towards concrete and sustainable help.

First of all, the volunteers of the Marist Blues are working incessantly to provide food and shelter for the hundreds of families who no longer have a home. The 1,2,3 Hope Love Life for Peace association distributes food parcels and focuses primarily on children. Abdel, a policeman by profession, travels around the suburbs and the most popular neighbourhoods, distributing food, medicine and warm clothes for the children of families who have not received any aid so far. Zeinab, with years of experience in non-profit organisations, is looking for and distributing rented homes that are still livable, to families who have been left homeless.

As you already know, political, geographical, meteorological and other complications are making relief efforts for Aleppo, as for other parts of Syria and Turkey, slow, ineffective and insufficient. A tragedy within a tragedy; your donation is directly and immediately helping these victims. Your generosity makes these people feel less forgotten and ignored.

We are truly grateful for your help and trust in our project. Up to now, we have raised almost € 5000, much money for a small organisation like Crete For Life, but we still need a lot more to help women, men and children in Syria to have a future. Apart from bank charges, your money goes directly into the hands of our partners in Aleppo. In this time of confusion and helplessness, we are proud to help the people of Aleppo together with you. The best way to honour the dead is to care for the living.

We will be grateful if you share our project with your contacts to raise more funds and reach more people.

Thank you, Crete For Life Team