First, we need to ask ourselves: Why Afghanistan?
“Children should not pay for conflict with their childhoods. Afghan children need peace!”
Increased conflict and insecurity in Afghanistan have left children paying a heavy price. Afghanistan was already one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a child. Now, with a security crisis, skyrocketing food prices, a severe drought, the spread of COVID-19, missing out on life-saving vaccines, harsh winters, and the presence of the Taliban, children are at greater risk than ever. The UN verified many violations against children with nearly half attributed to the Taliban. Some 297 attacks on schools and hospitals were also verified.
Around 10 million children need humanitarian assistance to survive. If current trends continue, UNICEF predicts that one million children under 5 in Afghanistan will suffer from severe malnutrition. Around 300,000 children have been forced out of their homes and many came to Portugal and to other European countries searching for a better life.
So, why JRS?
The Jesuit Refugee Service is an international organisation of the Catholic Church, founded in 1980, under the responsibility of Sociedade de Jesus. JRS’s mission is to serve and defend refugees, forcibly displaced and all migrants in a particularly vulnerable situation. JSR is currently present in 50 countries around the world.
In Portugal, JRS was formed in 1992 and works in the following areas: social support, psychological support, medical support, legal support, referral and support for professional integration, accommodation of homeless immigrants (Centro Pedro Arrupe), monitoring of detained immigrants and Portuguese language courses.
We are more than happy about working with JRS throughout this 3-month challenge, and to help children that came from Afghanistan to Portugal hoping for a better Ayandeh (future).
Go and check out more about JRS on their WEBSITE and make sure to like and follow them on FACEBOOK.
Also, don’t forget that you are running for a child, you are running for a major cause! You are also running for your health but for others to stay safe and healthy too! Watch our Ayandeh Challenge video here.
Your Run4aChild Team