Hi, we’re Anna, Kylie, Jinn, Nicola, and Victoria and during the week commencing 19th June, we’ll be swimming 100 laps of our school pool a day in support of the UK-based charity, Refugease. This means we’ll be swimming a total of 3,500 laps between the five of us, adding up to a distance of over 87km.

What's happening:

At the end of 2022, more than 108 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide. Of those, an estimated 43.3 million are children. Conflict, political instability, environmental disasters, and economic hardships have driven millions of individuals and families to seek safety and hope beyond their borders. Ongoing wars and conflicts remain one of the leading causes for refugees. Countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Ukraine have experienced protracted conflicts, leading to mass displacement and the creation of refugee populations. As conflict zones expand, innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire, becoming victims of violence, and are forced to flee their homes in search of safety.   

Therefore, by taking on this challenge, we aim not only to make a tangible impact through our fundraising efforts but we also hope to shed light on the urgent needs and struggles faced by refugees around the world. 

Who we're supporting:

Refugease was first founded in 2015 following the news of a 3-year-old Syrian boy, named Alan Kurdi, who tragically drowned in the Mediterranean Sea as his family were trying to reach Europe.

Working in Syria, Jordan and Ukraine, Refugease focuses on helping refugees in transit by providing frontline evacuations where conflicts are at their most precarious. They also work on self-reliance and provide formal education for refugee children, up-skill adult refugees into employment and build hydroponic farming systems.

Most recently, since the war in Ukraine escalated in February 2022, Refugease has been evacuating individuals with reduced mobility, who are unable to flee unassisted due to age, disabilities, and illnesses, from towns and villages where the conflict is at its most precarious.

Why we're swimming:

Our decision to swim as a fundraiser was largely inspired by Yusra Mardini, an Olympic swimmer and Syrian refugee. At the age of 17, Yusra and her sister Sarah were forced to leave their war-torn homeland of Syria due to the ongoing Civil War. After the motor stopped working and the dinghy began to take on water in the Aegean Sea, Yusra and Sarah pulled the boat through the water for over 3 hours until the group reached Lesbos. Despite the challenges she face, Yusra remained steadfast in the pursuit of her dreams and went onto compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympic Team. She serves as a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable adversity, we can find the strength within ourselves to overcome challenges and make a positive impact.

100% of your donations through this link will go directly to Refugease to help continue their life-saving mission and will go a long way in providing much-needed frontline evacuations and humanitarian aid. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Anna, Kylie, Jinn, Nicola, and Victoria