Ramadan will be different for Syria's children, says charity

With millions of Muslims around the world fasting as part of the holy month of Ramadan, food and charity are on the minds of many.

Amid this season of season of celebration and religious obsrevance, international NGO Save the Children has launched the "It's not the Same For Them" campaign to provide a stark reminder about the harsh realities of hunger.

Juxtaposing two images of a happy child holding sweets and a dust-covered child holding a handul of ammunition shells, the hard-hitting campaign highlights the plight of children who will go through Ramadan after years of war in the Middle East.

The campaign is the result of Facebook's 'Hack for Good' competition, which sought the talents of young Arab creatives to be put towards a campaign on a major social issue in the region.

"Our hope is that the 'It's not the same this year' campaign will remind our communities about the difficult circumstances Syrian children face," said Sameh George, Head of Facebook's MENA Creative Shop.



The Hack For Good competition took place at the Dubai Lynx Festival in March, when students from around the United Arab Emirates were invited to develop a Ramadan-themed campaign for Save the Children.

The judging panel included representatives from leading advertising and social media agencies, including OMD, Cheil, Ogilvy Qatar, Leo Burnett, FP7 and JWT. 

"As we all gear up to celebrate the month with family and friends, we wanted to bring the reality of celebrating Ramadan for a Syrian child closer to our hearts," said Soha Ellaithy, Senior Director of Save the Children's Gulf Area Office.

"Collaboration builds creativity and I'm grateful to Facebook for bringing all these experts and dedicated individuals to help engage communities in our mission to protect children."