While millions flee from violence, war and oppression, the children are acutely affected, many getting lost in the shuffle and forced to fend for themselves. Disease ravages refugee camps and leaves children as orphans; a refugee child suffers.

Refugee camps either have limited schooling available for children or none at all and so children's futures are threatened when they can not go to school, often resulting in iliteracy. Children shed tears they want to go to school so badly, but instead must walk miles for water, take care of younger children, and learn how to survive under harsh circumstances.

But the children also have hope, despite the harrowing lives they live. There have been huge smiles splashed accross faces that warrant tears, and laughter when there seems to be only despair. Refugee children are innocent, yet totally affected, and while their parents strive to provide for them (if they have parents), many result to their own means to pave a life for themselves, sometimes even resulting to prostitution or crime. Refugee children are foreigners, often rejected by other children in their new country, and battle for survival.

They are in a unique class of vulnerability and attention needs to be tailored towards their specific needs, to bring them out from under the heavy hand of circumstance.

• 04/12/2007 10:34
  • 03/21/2007 11:41
  • 03/21/2007 11:33