A little girl, unlike no other, has become a global sensation as a symbol of human rights.
She is Amal, a majestic and serene 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl. Amal is on a journey around the world to spread awareness, love and hope for displaced people everywhere, especially refugees. Having traveled to the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Greece, Italy, France, Poland, Canada and Norway, she is now on her grand visit in the United States.
She arrived in Boston on Sept. 7 and reached MASS MoCA, in North Adams, MA, on Sunday, Sept. 9. She was greeted by more than 100 well-wishers, playing music and singing songs along her journey. Layan Radi, an international student in the HVCC Honors College, was there to witness the historical event.
“I thought it was beautiful that so many people gathered to witness such a beautiful event for a great cause. The energy of the people is something that you cannot really replicate with words,” said Layan. The journey of Amal reveals the innocence lost and the basic things often taken for granted, such as access to education. Half of all refugees are children and half of all school-age refugee children have lost their opportunity of a formal education.
The Walk’s Amal Fund was created to support the education of young refugees all around the world. As a diverse community of higher education, we know the power of education and the positive change that it can bring. May Amal’s journey and her message “Don’t forget about us” remind us of our humanity and our power to make a difference in our community and the world.
To learn more about “The Walk” and follow Amal’s journey, visit https://walkwithamal.org/.
