These Bands Are Made From Refugees’ Lifejackets And Support The Syrians’ Plight

Photo from indiegogo.com
Photo from indiegogo.com

For five years and counting, the hostilities in Syria continue to rage on, forcing many of its people to flee their homes and become refugees in other parts of the world as they look to begin anew, trying to piece together their lives that were ravaged by the conflict. According to a report from the BBC, more than 11 million Syrians have already been driven out of their homes because of the war, as these people leave everything behind in hopes of having a future that they can once again all look forward to, away from all the chaos.

Thanks to a couple of American tourists, Alexander Schultz and Zoë Pappis, these Syrian refugees can at least take solace on the fact that they are not alone in their fight for a better tomorrow. With the help of these two Americans, these displaced victims of war will get the assistance that they need through what may very well be the modern day symbol of hope for war in the Middle East, the Zoë Bands.

From what started as a simple vacation in Europe for both Alexander Schultz and Zoë Pappis, they found themselves as volunteers in Lesvos, Greece for the refugees who were flocking towards the Greek island that many refer to as the main European entry point for refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria. Using lifejackets to aid them through the perilous trek across the Aegan Sea from Turkey to Lesvos, those lifejackets were instrumental for these displaced Syrians who had no choice but to leave their former lives to start again in a foreign land.

And from those very same lifejackets, Alexander and Zoë created the Zoë Bands as their way to show these refugees that people won’t stop helping them to have fruitful lives once again. Made from recycled lifejackets, these bands will fund the necessary resources needed for the victims of war to have food, clothing, and medical supplies.

”Zoë and I didn’t head to Europe on a humanitarian mission. In fact, we originally set out to do nothing more than drink cappuccinos and see some sites in Italy,” Alexander Schultz, co-founder of Zoë Bands, said. ”However, our trip quickly changed as we continued to learn more and more about the refugee crisis. We eventually decided to fly into Lesvos and volunteer.”

”As we spent time volunteering in clothing tents, forced to turn away those in need due to lack of donations, we decided to create a way for more people to support the victims of this crisis,” Schultz added. ”We needed a solution that would allow funds to funnel towards those who need it AND spread awareness in the western world.”

”Zoë Bands is our solution.”

What do you think of the Zoë Bands and its mission to help refugees of war? Let us know in the comments below and share this news.


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