<div><strong>Every child is your child is holding their 5th annual fundraising campaign. All funds raised through this campaign benefit asylum seeker children living in direct provision centers and emergency accommodation centers with back-to-school essentials.</strong>
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<div>The last few years have been mighty difficult for everyone around the world. The covid-19 pandemic altered our way of living and changed our lives forever. Just as we were all preparing to pick up the pieces and return to the new ways of living, the new "normal", further devastations such as the war in Ukraine meant more people's lives would continue in that limbo of uncertainty and it also meant more people in the world are being displaced, loosing and living behind life as they have always known it. Ireland has received around 33,600 Ukrainian refugees to date.
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<div><strong>A record 11,689 people, including nearly 2,800 children, are currently living in direct provision,</strong> an increase of more than 40 percent on the same time last year. Some<strong> 6,266 people are currently living in direct provision centers, while 4,961 are staying in emergency accommodation and 462 are in the Baleskin reception center</strong>, according to Government statistics released to <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2022/06/08/more-than-11600-people-in-direct-provision-as-numbers-rise-to-record-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Irish Times</a>.
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<div>One challenge that we can all agree is affecting us all is probably the <strong>daily sky-rocketing cost of living</strong>. The state has put in place supplementary measures to try and assist people that are dependent on the welfare system, they have also kindly extended this help to other residents in Ireland that meet certain criteria. Unfortunately, one group of people is always falling through the cracks; asylum seekers living in the direct provision system.<strong> People living in direct provision have no access to any social welfare support. People living in direct provision only get a weekly payment of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child.</strong> The <a href="https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/asylum_seekers_and_refugees/services_for_asylum_seekers_in_ireland/direct_provision.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Citizens' information states</a> "You do not have to accept the direct provision. But you are not entitled to any other help from the State if you do not accept it."
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<div><strong>It is unimaginable how parents living in direct provision are expected to rear families on a living allowance of only €38.80 per week, let alone school essentials for their children. It is a mammoth task trying to budget for back-to-school essentials such as uniforms, workbooks, book rental fees, textbooks, shoes, stationery, backpack, dare we mention essential extra curriculum activities such as swimming lessons, etc. The </strong><a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/0711/1309496-back-to-school/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>back-to-school</strong></a><strong> allowance is a huge help, but it still leaves many holes to be filled.</strong>
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<div>This fundraising campaign is hoping, with your solidarity, goodwill, and generosity, to help approximately 2000 school-going aged children living in the direct provision system and emergency accommodation centers and tents with those much-needed back-to-school essentials. We are hoping that with your help we can reach and exceed our ambitious, modest target.
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<div>All contributions will go towards the purchase of a €25 gift card that will assist a parent with the purchase of school essentials. we will also use funds to purchase bulk stationery items that we will break down into individual "stationery packs" for distribution to children in direct provision.<strong> Our fundraisers over the last 5 years have assisted over 1300 children annually</strong>.
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<div>If you would like to make a corporate donation in kind or using other means please don't hesitate to contact us using the details below. If you have any other solutions that you can offer or suggest, please feel free to get in touch with us too.
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<div>It is a great shame that civil society continually has to step to assist the most vulnerable in our society. We greatly appreciate your kindness, generosity, and support.
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<div><strong><em>"If not you, who? If not now, when?" -Hillel </em></strong>
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<div><strong><em>Anyone can be a hero to someone!</em></strong>
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<div><a href="https://everychildireland.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>[email redacted]</strong></a>
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<div><strong>follow us on social media - Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @eciycireland</strong>
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Niamh Ní Chonghaile

Eamonn Kennedy

Anonymous

Melissa Chouikrat

Aoife Moran

Maire O'Sullivan

Orla Kirwan

Melissa Collins

Sian Cowman

Edie Hand

Molly Considine

Damian Lane

Asylum Seeker School Children in Direct Provision

Asylum Seeker School Children in Direct Provision

Still €6,675 to go. Help us build momentum.