The news had been coming in for some time. The situation had deteriorated. For the past several years, a terrible civil war has been raging in Syria.
Dramatic images have gone viral—from Syrian children casualties of bombings, to the young clown entertaining the kids to give them hope, or to this generation’s Anne Frank—a seven-year-old girl who, with the help of her journalist mother, documented the deaths and devastation.
The plight of the Syrian people is a problem that the Filipino youth have been vocal about—from the sad emoji reactions on Facebook videos, to threads on Twitter discussing the issue. Some have asked for prayers for the city of Aleppo, where children are dying, stuck in the battlefield and away from humanitarian aid. But it seems that prayers are not enough.
Hashtag
#PHforAleppo is the brainchild of Jason del Rosario. It started out with posts spreading awareness about Aleppo, until it caught the attention of his friends and other people.
Eventually the office of Vice President Leni Robredo took notice of it, as well as UN Ambassador Teddy Boy Locsin, and the website Kami.com.ph.
Among those who helped spread the hashtag was Danielle Hill, an ESL teacher. Danielle has been familiar with the conflict in Syria, often discussing it in class.
She did not expect the conflict to get worse, saying she had faith that things would turn out better, maintaining a positive outlook with the presence of humanitarian organizations on the ground.
However, when the situation deteriorated, Danielle underwent the five stages of grief. “I couldn’t distance myself from it anymore,” she said. “Here was a human tragedy that I was witnessing, and I was powerless to stop it.”
But then she learned about #PHforAleppo and was soon getting the motivation to help.
Donations
At press time, the Muslim community in the Philippines has been added to the list of those who have responded to #PHforAleppo. Donations keep coming in, posts continue to be shared.
The hashtag has turned into a growing advocacy. More than P40,000 in donations have been received.
As for Aleppo itself, things are getting better. Children are being evacuated, among them the seven-year-old who gave the people of Syria a voice.
This story is another example of the power of social media—the empathy it arouses and the human spirit it inspires.
In the face of trouble, hope springs eternal.
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