So, we did it! We ended up raising £2,747 and helping dozens of Syrian refugees living in a camp in Lebanon. Thanks to your generous donations we were able to provide families with food, warm clothing, more shelter for their tents and medicine.

We drove about an hour from Beirut to a small camp in Bar Elias, Bekaa Valley where we wanted to help some of the most vulnerable refugees who had received little help from charities.

There were people whose homes (tents) were not adequately insulated and looked pretty flimsy, made from pieces of wood and covered in plastic sheets. Others were desperate for medical care for their children who had fallen ill. We saw children who were not wearing enough warm clothing for how cold it was (I was wearing a T-shirt, jumper, jeans and a coat, and felt the chill – even before darkness fell). I still can’t get the image out of my head of a baby who hadn’t been walking for long but was walking barefoot on the muddy ground.

We arrived as a group of six and had a list of the families who needed the most help, the ones with mostly women and children. We also carried socks, sanitary towels, blankets and hats to offer those in need – as well as some chocolates for the youngsters.

The scene was heartbreaking from the moment we arrived. There were lots of children. Many were curious of the strangers who had entered their camp and wanted to know what we had brought. Although there were children playing and who we witnessed laughing together, as we approached some of the youngest there were no smiles or laughter – it was as though their childhood had been taken from them.

We managed to help over 250 people, 60-70 per cent of these were children. Some of the families included a widow with 10 children to look after, an 85-year-old woman who has to care for her five grandchildren because her son and daughter-in-law were arrested in Syria, and a woman whose passport was confiscated by a hospital in Lebanon when she had an operation but could not afford to pay for it. She will not be given her documents (which she needs if she wants to receive aid from charities) until she can pay for the treatment.

As much as we wanted to spend more time with the families and hear their stories, we were not able to stay in the camp for long before we were spotted and approached by a crowd of people asking for help. It was extremely upsetting to see people, who were once just like you and I, having to beg for the essentials to survive. We did not add to their shame by taking photos of the adults, so the ones you see here are of only children.

So again, I’d like to say thank you for your support in helping to make a difference to these people’s lives. We will of course inform you when we are next planning a trip to help more refugees but in the meantime please keep donating to the charities that you trust are helping the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled to countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.

I’d also like to thank our friend who has worked with many refugees across Lebanon for locating the camp, finding the most vulnerable families for us to help and guiding us around the camp on his day off (and translating!). A special thanks to Ben Allen too for being the photographer and driver for the day and allowing me to use his images in this post. Check out Ben’s blog post and pictures.

Roshina x