Heart to Heart: Refugee Crisis Aid

by The Passionate Dancing Elders

FOREWORD

8 long years of war and violence.

The crisis in the Middle East has unleashed one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history. Roughly 12 million people – over half the country’s population – have been displaced by the fighting, many seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Parents are faced with enormous obstacles while trying to keep their children safe and healthy.

For a generation of children, this is all they have ever known. As civilians are continually caught in the crossfire, children are increasingly bearing the brunt of the war, many ensuing hardships. Most of us have known a lifetime of peace and security growing up in Singapore. The devastation of losing loved ones, suffering physical and psychological trauma due to war is beyond many of our wildest imaginations. As we count our blessings, we here at The Passionate Dancing Elders (ELDERS) urge you to spare a heart, for the children who lack even the most basic of necessities. For the children who live in constant terror, with no guaranteed tomorrows. Children who have lost life, limb and childhood to wars they never asked for.

“Heart to Heart: Refugee Crisis Aid” is our humble group’s hope for Singapore, a country blessed with peace for 53 years, to stand up in our own small ways to tell the affected children in this crisis that they are not forgotten. Though we are unable to put an end to the civil unrest, we can, with your help, ease the plight of these children. We wish to shed light once more on a long-drawn atrocity that the world seems to have taken for granted and to bring whatever we can to the children that deserve more. Donation proceeds will aid child refugees in Jordan (Azraq Camp) and Lebanon (Bekaa Valley) with feeding programmes, early childhood education and psychosocial healing.

Every contribution counts.

About Us/A Message From Elders

The Passionate Dancing Elders (ELDERS) is a collective of youth from all walks of life brought together by our common love for dance. Since our formation in 2012, we have dedicated ourselves to quality productions, using dance as a medium to contribute to our local communities and to spark relevant social conversations in today’s times. 2018 proved no different for us as we set sights on SUPER 24, one of Singapore’s most celebrated dance competitions, to shed light on the Syrian War Crisis and spearhead our donation drive for those so desperately in need.

With our heartfelt piece inspired by and choreographed to the plight of the children in Syria, ELDERS emerged victorious as the first ever SUPER 24 ASEAN Championships, winning the likes of international judges and audience.

It was our greatest honour to have been able to dance our hearts out within 90 seconds, embedding this message of war and terror that is all too real, deep into hearts of thousands in attendance. We sincerely thank everyone who has helped and rooted for us up till this point, and wish that you would extend your support to give the Syrian children so dire in need, a helping hand.

“Life changes in an instant.
When the clouds of loss and tragedy gather; when the darkness comes, let our community shine a million lights to guide our own toward a shoulder to lean on and a soft place to land.”
- Unknown