Did you know that 100 million people were displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence or human rights violations? And that’s not over the last century, decade, or even year.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over 100 million individuals have been forced to flee their homes in just the first few months of 2022. These refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants are people just like us: parents and children, brothers and sisters, pregnant mamas and brand-new babies, treasured grandparents, friends and neighbors.
Any parent will tell you that they would do anything to keep their children safe–and that includes fleeing some of the most dangerous conditions in the world, often with only the clothes on their backs. This truth is at once beautiful and heartbreaking, and it’s what led California mom, Cristal Logothetis, to start Carry the Future in 2015.
Carry the Future began as a grassroots movement, with a handful of moms across the United States collecting baby carriers for refugee families arriving in Greece. With duffel bags of donated carriers, many stuffed with notes of encouragement, these determined mamas arrived at port cities in Greece, ready to welcome weary families and fit them with baby carriers that would help keep their little ones close and lighten their load during the journey ahead.
Ergobaby was one of our earliest supporters, having donated more than 47,000 Ergobaby and Tula carriers in Greece, Serbia, and Jordan. Most recently, Ergobaby mobilized to send almost 300 carriers to families in Ukraine.
Honoring the Refugee Journey
June 20, is World Refugee Day, a day when we honor the refugee journey and re-dedicate ourselves to building a world where a child’s safety and future always come first.
Carry the Future remains a grassroots movement that has expanded to provide not just baby carriers but also food, clean drinking water, diapers, hygiene items, baby beds and so much more. With a dedicated all-volunteer staff and a network of over 5,000 global volunteers, we truly believe that each and every one of us can make a difference.
From One Mom to Another
In honor of World Refugee Day, we’re honored to share a story of connection and love that transcends borders, cultures, and language, and it begins with a mom named Amy.
When Amy, mom of Lila, heard about Carry the Future, she immediately knew she wanted to donate one of her most beloved baby items–her baby carrier. The carrier held so many memories for Amy and Lila… walks in the park, naps, and daytime cuddles. Amy lovingly packed up her carrier and included a note of encouragement.
Amy and Lila’s carrier was one of thousands that made the journey from the United States all the way to Jordan, where they would end up being hand-delivered to refugee families by Carry the Future, in partnership with Salam Medical Missions. This incredible organization provides humanitarian aid including food, hygiene items, and clothing to refugees throughout Jordan and Lebanon, including in the Zataari and Azraq refugee camps–some of the largest in the world.
Carriers from thoughtful families were also finding their way to refugee families in other parts of the world. One such recipient was new mama Ayesha* and her smiley baby Sohail*. Ayesha is from a village in Syria that was heavily bombed and attacked in the war. Ayesha and her husband fled to Turkey and then to the island of Lesvos in Greece, via a small, damaged raft–at seven months pregnant.
Upon arrival in Lesvos, Carry the Future was able to provide Ayesha and, a few months later, her son Sohail with a carrier, diapers, and newborn supplies.
Help Us Make A Difference
Refugee families are just like ours–except that through luck and happenstance, they’re trying to raise happy, healthy, and safe children amidst incredible hardship.
This World Refugee Day, please consider becoming part of Carry the Future’s incredible network of volunteers or supporters. Whether you want to raise awareness about the struggles refugee families face, raise money in your community, collect diapers for arriving families or join our all-volunteer staff, we need all the love you can give. Visit www.carrythefuture.org or follow us @carrythefuture to learn more.
*Refugee families’ names have been changed to protect their privacy.
