Eid Appeal: Gifts for Mosul’s Children

Eid: Children of Mosul Appeal

Throughout Ramadan, Khalsa Aid International has provided vital food parcels and supported iftar kitchens for those who are fasting. You can help us go one step further by helping us give Eid gifts to children in Garmawa camp, Northern Iraq, who have fled their hometown of Mosul and are spending their youth in of the harshest conditions in the world.

On the day of Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, Muslim children typically receive new toys and clothes. But at this camp, 531 children have few or no prospects for festivity or gifts. This is why we need your help.

Khalsa Aid International is fundraising to give bundles of new toys and clothes to all 531 children in Garmawa camp. You can help make this a reality.

Bushra’s Story

Bushra is just four years old. Her family have been forced to become refugees after their home was bombed by airstrikes.

When Bushras mother was pregnant with her, ISIS in controlled her hometown, Mosul. Her mother struggled to attend her hospital appointments because she was a woman. She also had to avoid receiving IV drips, as these involved her showing her hands in public. .

One hot day, after Bushra was born, a gun was held to her mothers head in the hospital gardens:

“I was eating ice cream. They said to me ‘you’re showing your hand and face, drop the ice-cream!’”

In 2014, when they lost their home, the two moved to Garmawah camp with Bushra’s father and two brothers. It is one of the least developed refugee camps in the region, and hosts 163 families, who are all observing Ramadan today:

“We used to have a great iftar each day in Mosul. But there was little food and water when ISIS had power. And we were threatened for two years. One Ramadan, I was caught out of the house buying vegetables and ISIS threatened to kill me. I had bought the vegetables from a male grocer, and he was immediately beaten on the street, publicly, for selling food to a woman.”

“Now things are better in Garmawah camp. Even though it is a camp, we have better food and can leave the tent. We feel free again.”

Despite the new found freedom, the family continue to encounter new problems each day:

“Bushra hates the camp because her grandparents are far away. She also has anaemia so has a lot of needs for treatment. It doesn’t feel like her home.”

Bushra’s mother hopes she can experience a special Eid this year.

How a donation of £20 / $28 can help?

Eid is fast approaching, and you can help us offer a child just like Bushra a bundle of clothes and toys. We are appealing for 531 donations of £20 / $28 to ensure that no child in Garmawa is left without a gift. So, please click on the donate link now and give generously.

Thank you.

Photo credit: Nahwand Jaff 2018