Nayu's Feature Posts #2 ESSN

Nayu: This info in this post appealed to me as it seems such a good idea. I hope you find it informative! More info and illustrations can be found on the ESSN website. Everything below this paragraph is from the press release sheet and the website. It's true no matter who you are or what's going on in your life there are certain actions which most of us do, and can relate to. I think this helps explain the plight of refugees frther.

 The Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) is a programme that provides cash to the most vulnerable refugee families living in Turkey. They can spend the cash on whatever they decide is most important. It could be food, fuel, rent or medicine.

Shoes provide a step into normality for Syrian refugee children 

European children’s book illustrators come together to show how Syrian refugee children find new hope and stability through everyday objects.

The European Union (EU) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have teamed up with children’s book illustrators from across the EU to depict the importance of everyday objects in providing hope, security and comfort to refugee children who have been uprooted from their homes and normality. 

As experts on understanding and visualizing the world from a child’s point of view, these emerging European illustrators have come together to portray how seemingly mundane items mean so much more to a refugee child than we could know. From a teddy bear or a story book to a toothbrush or a pair of shoes, these objects provide something they can call their own - an escapism from reality. These items comfort the children with a familiar taste of home and give them hope and the excitement that every child deserves. 

Belgian illustrator Hanneke Supply highlights the  importance of a nightly routine for a child. This image  depicts the simplicity of a bedtime story, allowing important quality time with the family. 

Nayu: stories are what makes the world go round!

Estonian-Born illustrator Aleksei Bitskoff shows us how children attach their hearts to objects they know and love, these objects are necessities that a child should never be without. The joy and excitement in these children’s eyes show the mesmerising effect simple objects can have on their imagination thanks to assistance from the EU. 

Kristyna Litten, a UK-based author and illustrator (Blue and Bertie) with Eastern European heritage, takes us through the comfort of morning and evening routines for refugee children. This is illustrated through daily meals and the joy of playing with friends. (Nayu: picture below is 1 of several in the project)