Youth Spotlight: Nasreen Takes Action for Children on the Run
Nasreen, Emaan and Maha ready to engage their community
Nasreen might only be 6 years old but when she learned that millions of kids around the globe are children on the run or refugees, she decided to do something about it and raised over $4,500 for UNICEF. She and her family thought about the different ways that she could help and decided they would make videos to raise awareness about the issue and collect donations. She posts these videos online in hopes that people will watch them and think about how they too can help children on the run.
Nasreen learned about how UNICEF is helping children on the run, which inspired her to take action. UNICEF has reached more than 10 million affected individuals, most of them children, with water, health and nutrition services, education and supportive counseling. Nasreen wants people to understand why they should care and to put themselves in refugees’ shoes. In one video she made, she makes us think, “Remember yesterday when it was raining? What if you wanted to get inside but there was no inside? What if you lived in a tent? What is if wasn’t raining; What if it was snowing and you lived in a tent? That’s how it is for the refugees.”
Nasreen was connecting to her community virtually but wanted to take the next step to reaching her community face-to-face. With the support of her parents and help from her friends, she has been raising funds for Syrian refugee children for two years. Her most recent project was with her friends, fundraising at a food truck rodeo in Alpharetta, GA.
Emaan, Maha and Nasreen speaking to community members about UNICEF
When asked why she wanted to help refugee children, Nasreen explained simply, “I heard about them and I thought it was a good thing to do. I wanted their country to feel just like ours with a safe home, something to eat, and clothes [to wear].” Many children will now have the chance for a safe, happy childhood, thanks to her efforts which have raised over $4,500 for UNICEF.
Fawad, Zohaib, Maryam, Maha, Emaan and Nasreen celebrating their successful event for UNICEF
Now Nasreen is engaging her peers and mobilizing her community to help her. At her last fundraiser, she took a group of friends with her, creating a community of kids talking about this issue. When asked why other kids should care about UNICEF, she explained, “because then they can start helping UNICEF and start learning more, and they’ll be doing a good thing.” If you’re a kid out there who wants to help children on the run, Nasreen has some advice for you- “Most importantly, have fun!”
To learn more from Nasreen and support her efforts, check out: https://www.youcaring.com/unicef-usa-447086.
To learn more about UNICEF’s work on the child refugee crisis, check out: https://www.unicefusa.org/mission/emergencies/child-refugees.
HOW TO HELP
There are many ways to make a difference
War, famine, poverty, natural disasters — threats to the world's children keep coming. But UNICEF won't stop working to keep children healthy and safe.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories — more places than any other children's organization. UNICEF has the world's largest humanitarian warehouse and, when disaster strikes, can get supplies almost anywhere within 72 hours. Constantly innovating, always advocating for a better world for children, UNICEF works to ensure that every child can grow up healthy, educated, protected and respected.
Would you like to help give all children the opportunity to reach their full potential? There are many ways to get involved.
