Fresh start for Mike and his family
Donation protected
Meet Mike, Duaa and their lovely newborn and bundel of joy, Joe.
When a bomb exploded a stone’s throw away from Mike and his highly pregnant wife in Damascus and shrapnel came raining down around them, they both decided it was time to get out. They decided that Mike would travel to Europe alone, as Duaa would not survive the hard journey in her state, and that Mike would then repatriate her and their (then still unborn) child to the country that would accept him as a refugee.
Mike arrived in Belgium from Syria in early October 2015, after a lengthy journey full of mishaps, deceit and misery. This is when I met and befriended Mike in the Vilvoorde refugee center near where I live. He has seen sinking boats, people smugglers taking advantage of the refugees’ situation, police robbing refugees, violence and miserable living conditions all along his way to Belgium. On top of the journey being perilous and fraught with danger, it is also an extremely expensive venture, all the family’s savings have gone to getting Mike to safety so that he can then get them to safety as well. This thought is what has been keeping Mike and Duaa going on their journeys. Mike’s journey to Europe and Duaa’s journey to becoming a mother, going through childbirth without her husband there with her for support.
Today, Mike is extremely happy because he has finally been officially accepted as a refugee and can therefore start the process of bringing his lovely wife and son to Belgium so they can start their lives here together!! Mike can’t wait to wrap his arms around Duaa again and to kiss and hug his beautiful firstborn for the first time. But there’s a big but…
The administrative costs of applying for travel visas (€190 per person), getting to the nearest Belgian embassy in Beirut and staying there whilst awaiting their visas which could take up to a month (cheapest hotel in Beirut costs €221 / week), medical tests (€120 per person), the airplane tickets for Duaa and little Joe (hard to predict an actual price because they'll be very last minute tickets), the costs of applying for repatriation and various other costs related to reuniting a family once they've actually arrived in belgium are now the only hurdle Mike, Duaa and Joe face. They don’t have the money to fund this themselves because Mike’s journey to Europe used up all their savings. So it would mean the world to them to get some help with this.
Every contribution makes a difference, even a small one, so please help this little family get a fresh start, somewhere safe, where little Joe can grow up in a peaceful and nurturing environment, rather than a war-torn city. Mike misses his family very much and looks forward every day to seeing Duaa and Joe again. The whole family will be more than forever grateful to anyone who would like to help them reunite.
Thank you and God bless,
Mike, Duaa and little Joe.
When a bomb exploded a stone’s throw away from Mike and his highly pregnant wife in Damascus and shrapnel came raining down around them, they both decided it was time to get out. They decided that Mike would travel to Europe alone, as Duaa would not survive the hard journey in her state, and that Mike would then repatriate her and their (then still unborn) child to the country that would accept him as a refugee.
Mike arrived in Belgium from Syria in early October 2015, after a lengthy journey full of mishaps, deceit and misery. This is when I met and befriended Mike in the Vilvoorde refugee center near where I live. He has seen sinking boats, people smugglers taking advantage of the refugees’ situation, police robbing refugees, violence and miserable living conditions all along his way to Belgium. On top of the journey being perilous and fraught with danger, it is also an extremely expensive venture, all the family’s savings have gone to getting Mike to safety so that he can then get them to safety as well. This thought is what has been keeping Mike and Duaa going on their journeys. Mike’s journey to Europe and Duaa’s journey to becoming a mother, going through childbirth without her husband there with her for support.
Today, Mike is extremely happy because he has finally been officially accepted as a refugee and can therefore start the process of bringing his lovely wife and son to Belgium so they can start their lives here together!! Mike can’t wait to wrap his arms around Duaa again and to kiss and hug his beautiful firstborn for the first time. But there’s a big but…
The administrative costs of applying for travel visas (€190 per person), getting to the nearest Belgian embassy in Beirut and staying there whilst awaiting their visas which could take up to a month (cheapest hotel in Beirut costs €221 / week), medical tests (€120 per person), the airplane tickets for Duaa and little Joe (hard to predict an actual price because they'll be very last minute tickets), the costs of applying for repatriation and various other costs related to reuniting a family once they've actually arrived in belgium are now the only hurdle Mike, Duaa and Joe face. They don’t have the money to fund this themselves because Mike’s journey to Europe used up all their savings. So it would mean the world to them to get some help with this.
Every contribution makes a difference, even a small one, so please help this little family get a fresh start, somewhere safe, where little Joe can grow up in a peaceful and nurturing environment, rather than a war-torn city. Mike misses his family very much and looks forward every day to seeing Duaa and Joe again. The whole family will be more than forever grateful to anyone who would like to help them reunite.
Thank you and God bless,
Mike, Duaa and little Joe.
Organizer
Roxane Sneezing
Organizer
Tervuren, VLG