IC Charity Day 2022, Luxembourg
Hundreds of children have arrived in Luxembourg from Ukraine since March 2022. Most of them are hosted in centers for refugees supervised by Croix-Rouhe ( Red Cross) and Caritas. They get food, medical treatment and a secure place. But what they miss is the opportunity to share joyfull moments, event under those difficult conditions.
Our non-profit organisation, Île aux Clowns asbl, has the mission to make them smile again with the regular visits of healthcare clowns. Our clowns are specially trained to face complicated situations. They offer moments of happiness, attention and comfort. They focus on the children, but also on the families ( mainly mothers alone). They collaborate tightly with the staff of the refugees centers so as to offer the best possible service.
Currently we visit 2 or 3 centers per month, each time about 25 children ( from 1 to 18 year old). We started end of March and at the moment don't see an end to this mission. Please help us offer these visits as long as possible.
Our healthcare clowns try to reconnect the children from Ukraine with the real life of a child.
The children have the right to smile, play and laugh, in spite of the terrific conditions they have encountered. Our clowns consider them as kids, listen to them, and bring them in their universe.
The focus is really on the children. They need comfort, attention and care.
But, at the same time during the visit, the clowns may spend time with the parents, mainly mothers, who are very grateful and happy to see smiles on the face of their children again.
We try to lessen a little bit the trauma lived by the children.
We try to replace them in their position of children, with the right to laugh and smile.
We need to maintain a long-term presence to help these children in difficulties.
We have to give them our support and offer them all the possible chances to have a "normal" life.
Our organisation is dedicated to this mission, long-term because it seems this conflict is going to last.