The Seplaa Young Leaders’ Club International and SEPLAA Foundation, flanked by Amal Malik, visited the Yusra Community Center in Fateh, Istanbul on 23rd February, 2018.
The visit was part of the planned activities to be covered for the project ‘Journey of a Hundred Leaves’ Book Project. It is the first Pakistani Young Girls’ Led International Climate Change Adaptation Awareness and Social Entrepreneurship Program.
The SYLCI team were greeted by Ms. Shahla Raza, who runs the Yusra Community Center. Syrian and Afghan refugee children aged 2- 13 were present at the center at the time of the visit.
The team conducted a recycled paper art work activity with the children in order to involve the children in a creative activity where they could reflect about recycling. This activity is also being documented in the book and it was hoped that the children could get an opportunity to discuss the environment through art.
The Seplaa Team extended their gratitude to Ms. Shahla Raza for allowing them to conduct the activity. Ms. Raza has been working with great dedication with the Syrian refugee children in Istanbul since 4 years. The children were obviously very fond of her and depended on her to provide a school environment.
Conflict is never any child’s fault. While Ms. Raza recounted how some of the children had fled Syria and come in the most harrowing circumstances to Istanbul, she remembered the horrors recounted to her and then added, ‘They are children. What have they done to deserve this?’
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