In a bid to ‘protect’ the country, when Nauru’s President Baron Waqa decided to ban Facebook citing the social media platform had the “power to stoke instability”, everyone including the opposition, MPs and refugee advocates expressed their strong disapproval.
But a bunch of brave refugee teenagers at detention centres in Nauru decided to start a campaign on Facebook to be heard and be able to interact with fellow Australian children.
Scared that they might be shut down, the Facebook page, Free the Children NAURU is run anonymously. The creator(s) of the page describe it as “the asylum seeker and refugee children doomed on Nauru speak out and share their dreams and hopes with other children around the world.”
Most of the children (who have been declared as refugees) are either residing in the community or are in the detention centre waiting for accommodations.
Free the Children NAURU has (heart-wrenching) stories of the refugees who have fled from Iraq, Syria and other unsafe places.
One of the stories is of an Iraqi refugee boy suffering from rheumatic fever that shows what it feels to be braving a tough situation like this one. Per the Facebook post, the boy’s medication for rheumatic fever were taken away before he reached Nauru (Note: per his condition, he is on antibiotics always). Currently he is provided medicines but still he feels sick. he doesn’t go to school because his family is scared for his safety and he is sick. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, the boy says, “Anything, free.”
It is terrible when children write posts like this – “In my country it was more safe for the boys than the girls. The boys just get killed and they just died.But for the girls…it’s very bad for girls.”
And then there is another story of a boy named Salam reflects one of the few things the children in Nauru’s detention centres are going through.
This is Salam. Salam, his four brother and father run away Syria in June 2013 when he was six year old. They lived in…
Posted by Free the Children NAURU on Monday, November 9, 2015
The amazing courage, determination and strength the children posses are clear with messages like these.
The Asylum Seeker and Refugee children will not be silenced any longer. This is our page, with our stories of the hell we have suffered being locked up on Nauru. We have a message coming for all Australian children. So please like and share this page so you will know the truth.
Be brave kiddos, and never give up!
Cover Image Source: Facebook