This is how it all started... A blue bag full of fluffies.
LOBILAT, that's me. I am the one with heart name tag. No, I am not old. I just got plenty of life and cuddle experience.
In April 2015 Miss Stanhope was about to leave for a short trip to Lebanon. She has lived in Lebanon and Syria for long time and that is why she thinks often about the situation of the people living there. Miss Stanhope looked at me, Lobilat, her beloved fluffy toy. She started thinking about those Syrian refugees in Lebanon and all those refugee children with nothing to hold on to. Then she decided to cycle to Ikea and buy a few fluffies. Four years ago she got me from there and has been happy to have me.
Miss Stanhope told some friends about bringing some fluffies to Lebanon to give them to Syrian refugee children and some of them said. "Oh nice, get one from Ikea for me too. " So, Miss Stanhope got more fluffies.
In the end more friends wanted to donate a fluffy for Syrian refugee kids. Then some friends of friends. So Miss Stanhope posted on facebook that whoever wants to donate a fluffy friend should contact her.
So, me and Miss Stanhope went to Ikea yet again. I had not problem to convince my fluffy siblings to come along...
There were so many people wanting to send a fluffy to Lebanon but so little space in Miss Stanhope's biggest bag. So Miss Stanhope said: "I'll fly over in September 2015 and then I make sure I am allowed to take more luggage with me." It was hard work pressing all those fluffies with their nametags into the big black bag. I decided to go into the hand luggage along with two other fluffies. I am a VIFT. Very Important Fluffy Toy. At least I like to think so.
So in April 2015 me and Miss Stanhope flew over to Beirut.
In Beirut we met the amazing Helen Patuk , an author of children's books for Syrian children. Have a look at her projects: http://www.kitabna.org/ . As you can see my fluffy friends were also happy finally to meet their Syrian refugee kids.
In August 2015 me and Miss Stanhope told all our friends that we were heading to Beirut again. Have look at some of the sponsored fluffies:
Somehow some more donated fluffies ended up in my and Miss Stanhope's apartment..
So we got more bags... and we checked with the airline if they would mind having a huge fluffy family flying with them.
In the end we had a few more... It took a while to press them into the bags... but Miss Stanhope is quite fond of sportive activities.
SEPTEMBER 2015. On our way to Beirut.
IN BEIRUT
Once in Beirut Miss Stanhope wrote many Emails and did a lot of phonecalls so that we could visit a Syrian refugee camp. It was not that easy. While strolling through the streets of Beirut we saw Syrian refugee children and gave them some fluffies.
After about a week of trying we finally managed to get the ok for a visit in a refugee camp. We only wanted to hand out fluffies to refugee children for them to hold on to... We also wanted to make photos for children's book that shoud picture the life condition of refugees in a camp. Without the kind and super fast support of the HIMAYA NGO that would not have been possible. Thank you HIMAYA. Have a look at their essential himaya child protection projects: https://www.himaya.org/ .
I HAVE A WEBSITE JUST ABOUT THE CAMP VISIT : Go to REFUGEE CAMP VISIT VISIT IN LEBANON
Here you have some photos to get an idea!
We also went to Lebanon in January 2016, click here for more info about that JANUARY 2016 trip. Me and Miss Stanhope are planning our next trip to be in April 2016. If you want to send a fluffy friend along click here. If you want to to see pics of the APRIL 2016 project click here.