Little Amal wins hearts in the UK, raising awareness on plight of lone child refugees
Little Amal wins hearts in the UK, raising awareness on plight of lone child refugees
LONDON - Actor, activist and refugee Syed Haleem Najibi from Phosphoros Theatre delivered a heartfelt speech to help Little Amal, a 3.5 metres tall Syrian puppet-girl who has travelled Europe in search of her mother, get a good night sleep in London.
He even bought her some new pyjamas, child size and inscribed on the front with an ‘A ‘for Amal, which means hope in Arabic. “I hope they fit you,” he said earnestly.
“Talking to Little Amal reminded me of the importance of refugees like us looking out for those that come after, reminding them that there is hope - even when it's really hard to see,” he said.
An animatronic puppet, she is the creation of Good Chance Theatre, in collaboration with South African Handspring Puppet Company, the producers of ‘War Horse.’
Amal’s 8,000 kilometre journey, through 65 cities, was created to focus awareness on the refugee crisis and the many children forced to leave their homes and travel alone in desperate situations.
After leaving his parents in Afghanistan in search of a safer life, Syed understands what it is like to travel alone, as a child: “I was like you once. I seemed big, because I had left my family, travelled on my own, crossed border after border, each time losing a piece of my home and a piece of my heart,” he said. “I wasn’t treated like a boy, I was treated like a big man.”
He offered Amal hope for the future. “I hope you can be small again. Being small means you can make mistakes … I hope you will find new ways to be brave. I know that you learnt too soon that the world isn’t kind.’ At a recent reception at London’s Royal Opera House, Syed and Tewodros Aregawe, both actors with Phosphoros, spoke to Amal, and to refugee children everywhere, with compassion, empathy and warmth.
These actors, like many of those who interacted with Amal on her journey, saw her for what she represented: hope, solidarity and welcome.
"I hope you can be small again. Being small means you can make mistakes … I hope you will find new ways to be brave."
During crises and displacement, children are at heightened risk of exploitation and abuse, especially when unaccompanied or separated from their families. At end 2019, 153,300 unaccompanied and separated children were reported among the refugee population, though this is likely a significant underestimate due to limited data. For children forced to flee and travel alone, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, urges authorities to improve safeguards, coordination and reception conditions.
Little Amal has been welcomed across the UK this month, as people came together to make it clear that refugees deserve compassion and the chance to rebuild their lives, however they arrive in the country.
At the Royal Opera House in London, the Citizens of the World Choir, the Royal Opera House Chorus and the Royal Ballet joined Phosphoros Theatre with performances designed to settle Amal for a good night's sleep. After a long day visiting St Paul’s Cathedral, the Globe Theatre and dancing at Somerset House, it was time to rest.
A giant bed was constructed to allow her to lie down and listen as the last performances lulled her to sleep. Once confident she was asleep, Tewodros told the audience: “I want to tell her that people will be good, that all the people with kind eyes who have walked alongside her and listened to her story will be louder than those who wish she wasn’t here. That they’ll keep walking, even though it’s tiring and the trail doesn’t end.”
Little Amal then headed North, to Coventry, where one weekday morning more than 2000 people came onto the streets to meet her. In the afternoon, Amal attended the UK’s first Children’s Citizenship Ceremony, meeting children who had been given citizenship that year and receiving her own certificate. Locals in towns in England like Rochdale also came out in numbers to see Amal.
The puppet has almost wrapped up her visit to the UK -- she is currently at the climate conference, COP 26, in Glasgow, to raise awareness of the displaced children affected by the climate crisis. She will then travel to the Netherlands where she has been invited to attend the Open Festival as a special guest.
Little Amal’s journey across Europe sent a message about the vulnerability of child refugees. As a piece of art, it sent a powerful reminder to those who met her, and helped remind us all about the importance of empathy, compassion and care.