"These children have taught me so much.. to take each day at a time and to deal with my problems that may have once seemed so huge, in a more objective and loving manner." (Jessica Kahawaty on visiting UNICEF camp with Louis Vuitton)
How wonderful and influential when you see influencers use their position to shed light on global issues publicly to empower others to reach their full potential and advocate for the ones without a voice. Jessica's visit to Syrian refugee camp is an inspirational example for all other public figures to use their fame in a right beneficial way; to be the voice to the millions around the world who need to be heard.
Shannon Wylie at Buro asked Jessica Kahawaty about her experience in being granted access to the Syrian refugee UNICEF camp in Jordan with Louis Vuitton, she replied with:
When Louis Vuitton told me that they had chosen me for this opportunity globally, I was so humbled and tried to imagine all that I would expect inside the camp. It was a mix of devastation and hope. Millions of children are displaced every year as a result of the Syrian war, which is entering its seventh year. They have lost their homes, belongings and are separated from their families. It was a heartbreaking trip to the Za'atari refugee camp which hosts over 79,500 Syrian refugees and I asked myself over and over why I deserve this free life they can only dream of living. I was also taken away by the positivity and smiles scattered on the children's faces. They lit up the extremely hot and arid surroundings with their innocent faces, colourful dresses and wide-eyed glares. There is an upcoming generation of children that is making waves in the refugee camp. I visited a caravan inside the camp that is home to a family of seven. The only daughter, Omaima, was a breath of fresh air and encouragement for any human rights advocate. The 16-year-old is fighting arranged child marriage and giving talks in the camp to educate girls and their families about the detriments of early marriage. Her dream is to be an international human rights lawyer in a country that respects human dignity and human life. I can only hope she realises her dream. Then a classroom full of boys at Makani, a centre that provides informal education, psychosocial skills and life training, shouted loudly their professional dreams when I asked: "Pilot, doctor, policeman, firefighter," they said. A child is a child. UNICEF is there to preserve that innocence.
Photo: Sebastien Zanella