I thought that last week's morsel prompt regarding how living in a warzone can have an effect on a child's emotions and views was very provocative. After doing a bit of searching, I found an article on abc news about children who are refugees from the war in Syria. (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-23/program-aids-syrian-refugee-children-haunted-by-horrors-of-war/4966286)
As one of UNICEF specialists puts it, "Some of these children have experienced horrors that you and I could never imagine". The story about the boy named Farid was particularly hard for me to grasp -- not only that a child could witness his father and his cousin being shot in the head by a sniper, but also that he would "want to die" afterwards. The idea of a child being so traumatized and feeling so hopeless paints a really horrifying picture, and it really makes me happy that organizations like UNICEF and IBC exist to give these children therapy and support. I honestly can't remember much from my childhood other than playing Pokemon games and watching cartoons, but these kids have been through harrowing experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives...This article really put things in perspective for me. I guess you never really realize how privileged you are until you see what other people have been through.
As one of UNICEF specialists puts it, "Some of these children have experienced horrors that you and I could never imagine". The story about the boy named Farid was particularly hard for me to grasp -- not only that a child could witness his father and his cousin being shot in the head by a sniper, but also that he would "want to die" afterwards. The idea of a child being so traumatized and feeling so hopeless paints a really horrifying picture, and it really makes me happy that organizations like UNICEF and IBC exist to give these children therapy and support. I honestly can't remember much from my childhood other than playing Pokemon games and watching cartoons, but these kids have been through harrowing experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives...This article really put things in perspective for me. I guess you never really realize how privileged you are until you see what other people have been through.
-- Mark Craig
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