A seven-year-old Afghan boy who sent an SMS from a container in England, in which he was trapped along with other refugees, sparked a trans-Atlantic search. The story made for riveting reading and I was struck by his ingenuity in thinking of sending a text message asking for help.
Volunteer Liz Clegg, on a visit to a migrant camp in Calais, France, had handed out hundreds of basic cellphones to children living there, programming in a number for them to call if they were in trouble. This thoughtful act helped save the lives of those in the container.
The call was traced and an interpreter who spoke Pashto spoke to the boy, who was able to confirm that the message was not a hoax.
Stories such as this make one realise that it is never too early to start teaching children basic lessons in safety and what to do in an emergency.
Being able to act at the right moment requires presence of mind, amply demonstrated by this boy.
Most of us, however, are more likely to react after the event and say “I should have done this or that”. Inspiration seems to strike too late. We can recall many instances when we, too, felt desperate and were stuck in a situation where there seemed no way out. We agonised over ways to get out of the predicament, but never got down to doing anything concrete. There was too much thinking and little action. Somehow, an answer to our problem seemed to elude us while our stress levels rose with each passing moment.
I guess there are some who can think on their feet and others who regress into a state of numbness when confronted by a danger or risk that needs to be confronted and overcome.
Danger of suffocating
It must have been a terrifying ordeal for those refugees stuck in a container with no idea of where they were and whether anyone would come to their rescue. Add to that the fact that they were in danger of suffocating and their ordeal takes on a nightmarish quality.
What must have gone through their minds as they sat there in cramped quarters? Did some of them despair of ever making it to freedom and resign themselves to their fate?
For those who have never known the hardship of living in a country devastated by civil war or terrorism, it is difficult to understand what these people go through every single day of their lives. Living in constant fear drives one to seek an escape, however perilous the alternative might be.
I see pictures of refugees fleeing violence carrying their meagre belongings and wonder if they think about or regret what or who has been left behind. I can only suppose that the overriding emotion is one of getting away from danger and keeping one’s family safe. So, they are willing to take any risk in an attempt to put an end to their suffering.
There are countless stories of abandoned containers and sea crossings fraught with uncertainty. And yet they continue. That’s when you realise that one can’t pass judgement and say that they should have stayed where they were. Who knows how we would react if we felt threatened and cornered. People take desperate measures in desperate situations.
And, as borders begin closing to these people, one can only wonder what will happen to them now. Will they continue to stay in no man’s land, destined to never know a place where they can feel safe and see as their final home?
I for one can only count my blessings that I live in a safe place and do not have to worry about tomorrow or even if it will ever come. I can only pray that these people find the home they so desperately seek.
