The Syrian conflict, now in its fifth year, has cost more than 200,000 lives and displaced 6.5 million refugees. The U.N. and Amnesty International call the crisis the worst since WWII, making it the worst humanitarian disaster of our era.
Two years ago I left Vancouver for Istanbul, Turkey, to help with humanitarian efforts within the Turkish-Syrian border and Istanbul itself. Working with local, grassroots organizations, I was involved in the establishment of a school at the border. Thanks to the support of global as well as local Canadian friends, we raised $5,800 for the school project.
This year, Nature PhotoHikes ventured to raise funds to sponsor Syrian orphans through a registered humanitarian organization based in Canada. A total of over 30 hikes were organized between March and October in BC. All proceeds after transportation costs were donated. Hikers were encouraged to complete at least 5 hikes, matching the distance covered during a marathon. They then shared their hiking experience with friends and family so that they could also contribute to the hiking and fundraising target.
The good news is we raised over $5,300 through this project, thanks to everyone’s support!