After more than five years of conflict in Syria, an entire generation of youth have lived through fear and violence.

At the Akcakale Refugee Camp in Turkey, a small red and white box was created to hold pieces of paper containing the hopes and dreams of these children stuck in the middle of violent conflict and uncertain migration. 

Conrad Sauvé, Canadian Red Cross president and CEO, witnessed the suffering of Syrian refugees while on a trip throughout Syria, Lebanon and Turkey, but also got a glimpse of the innocence that remains in the region when he saw the contents of the ‘Box of Child Wishes.’

“The gift of a little box crammed with children's dreams is a memory that will certainly stay with me,” Sauvé wrote while on his trip. In one drawing, a little girl hopes some day to attend university. Another child drew a map of Syria topped with the word ‘peace.’ Another picture shows a group of children wishing ‘to see friends again.’ One depicts a smiling aid worker. A few express the desire to be doctors some day.

“The gift of a little box crammed with children's dreams is a memory that will certainly stay with me. In one drawing, a little girl hopes some day to attend university. Another child draws a map of Syria topped with the word peace.’" - Conrad Sauve, Canadian Red Cross president and CEO.

The camp is a temporary home for roughly 30,000 refugees and many are children. This is just a portion of the millions of refugees that have been displaced since the conflict began.

While on his tour, Sauvé witnessed the pain and suffering of those affected by the crisis and maintains that until the war ends in Syria, millions of people will continue to be displaced, putting a strain on neighbouring countries and their ability to help. “Imagine, if you can, one third of Canada’s population in urgent need of help. The facts are too terribly clear,” Sauvé wrote.

In the meantime, humanitarian aid can continue to serve an important purpose in Syria and the region, while others escape to Europe and in Canada, where 25,000 refugees are still being resettled.